By Ayo Kehinde
President Bola Tinubu has signed into law the repealed and re-enacted National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act, 2026, a landmark legislation aimed at overhauling Nigeria’s identity management architecture, strengthening digital security and expanding access to trusted digital services across the country.
The President assented to the new law on Friday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, during a ceremony attended by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Education Julius Ihonvbere, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, Minister of Interior Olubunmi Ojo, Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Abisoye Coker-Odusote, World Bank Country Representative Taimur Samad and other senior government officials.
The new legislation repeals and re-enacts the NIMC Act of 2007, replacing the nearly two-decade-old legal framework with provisions designed to support Nigeria’s rapidly evolving digital economy and public service ecosystem.
Speaking after the signing ceremony, the Director-General of NIMC, Coker-Odusote, described the development as “a defining moment in the history of identity management in Nigeria”, saying the legislation reflects President Tinubu’s commitment to digital transformation and inclusive governance.
“On behalf of the Board and Management of NIMC, we sincerely thank Mr President for signing this landmark bill into law. His visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to digital transformation have once again positioned Nigeria for a future driven by innovation, trust and inclusion”, she said.
According to her, the new Act provides a modern legal framework that strengthens Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure while reinforcing the National Identification Number (NIN) as the country’s primary identity verification and authentication system.
She noted that after 19 years without major legislative changes, the new law aligns Nigeria’s identity management framework with current technological realities and international best practices.
Coker-Odusote explained that the Act introduces stronger safeguards for citizens’ personal data, enhanced cybersecurity measures and the legal foundation for a robust National Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), enabling secure digital authentication, encryption and legally recognised digital signatures.
She said the reforms would significantly improve confidence in digital transactions while protecting Nigerians in an increasingly technology-driven economy.
The NIMC boss added that the law also promotes inclusion by ensuring vulnerable and underserved populations have easier access to legal identity, enabling them to benefit from government programmes, financial services and broader economic opportunities.
She further disclosed that the legislation establishes NIMC as the nation’s Root Certificate Authority, making it the single trust anchor for government digital transactions.
Under the new framework, government agencies will be able to issue secure digital certificates that authenticate official documents, guarantee their origin and integrity, and prevent repudiation across digital platforms.
According to her, the initiative will eliminate duplication of identity management investments across Ministries, Departments and Agencies while providing a unified framework for Nigeria’s national digital certification infrastructure.
Coker-Odusote also commended the National Assembly, the Minister of Interior, development partners, stakeholders and NIMC staff for their contributions to the successful passage of the legislation.
She pledged that the Commission would implement the new law with transparency, professionalism, innovation and the highest standards of data protection and service delivery.
Speaking with journalists after the signing ceremony, Senate President Akpabio highlighted the practical security benefits of the strengthened identity management system.
He revealed that the integration of the NIMC database with the Ministry of Interior’s digital platforms recently enabled security agencies to identify and arrest suspected terrorist operatives immediately upon their arrival in Nigeria.
“Just last week, we were able to apprehend terrorist chiefs who were coming in from Saudi Arabia, in Katsina, of all places. When they landed, they just put their names on the computer; it revealed that these were criminals, and they arrested them”, Akpabio stated.
Akpabio said the incident underscored the importance of a harmonised national identity system in strengthening national security, improving intelligence gathering and enhancing coordination among government institutions.
The amended Act also empowers NIMC to harmonise identity records, synchronise government databases and improve interoperability among public institutions, measures expected to accelerate digital governance and improve service delivery nationwide.
