By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) says the newly enacted NIMC Act 2026 has fundamentally transformed its role from being primarily a custodian of identity records to becoming a key authority for Nigeria’s digital trust infrastructure.
The Commission stated this on Monday in Abuja at a roundtable it organized for members of the Association of Corporate Online Editors (ACOE) to examine the implications of the new legislation, its ongoing reforms and the future of Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem.
The workshop, themed “The New NIMC Act: Building Trust, Enabling Services, Transforming Nigeria,” also provided an opportunity for the Commission to engage the online media on its achievements and the important role of public awareness in building confidence in Nigeria’s national identity system.
In his goodwill message, the Chairman of ACOE commended NIMC’s leadership and described the association’s partnership with the Commission over the past four years as productive and impactful.
He said ACOE remained committed to informing Nigerians about NIMC’s activities, reforms and achievements, stressing that the media had an important role to play in helping citizens understand the significance of the country’s evolving digital identity infrastructure.
Among NIMC officials at the event were the Director of Public Relations, Dr Kayode Adegoke, as well as Ismail Sule, Elijah Adejoh and Munirat Lawal.
The Project Director, Project Implementation Unit (PIU), Nigeria Digital ID4D Project, Mrs Tito Ejenavi, was represented by Mr Seun Adebayo, while the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NIMC, Dr Abisoye Coker-Odusote, was represented by the Director, SERVICOM, Mrs Florence Oloruntade.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the NIMC Act 2026 into law on June 26, 2026, repealing and replacing the 2007 legislation.
The new Act designates NIMC as the Root Certification Authority for Nigeria’s National Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), giving the Commission a central role in secure digital identity, authentication and electronic trust services.
Presenting the key provisions of the new law, a NIMC representative said the legislation marked a transition from traditional national identity management to a broader digital trust infrastructure.
According to him, identity had now become foundational infrastructure for trusted digital services, while NIMC had been positioned as Nigeria’s national digital trust platform and a driver of digital public infrastructure.
He said the institutional shift would see NIMC move from a database custodian to a digital trust authority, from identity record management to national digital infrastructure, from an identity issuer to a national trust platform, and from simple identity verification to facilitating secure digital transactions.
He explained that the Root Certification Authority role would establish a national trust hierarchy capable of supporting secure digital signatures, authentication, trusted digital credentials and electronic transactions.
The new framework, he said, would also strengthen the three major pillars of digital public infrastructure — digital identity, digital payments and trusted data exchange.
The PKI framework would enable the verification of individuals and organisations, authentication of users before granting access to digital services, digital signing of documents, encryption of sensitive information and protection against impersonation, fraud and cybercrime.
Impact on Government, Citizens, Businesses
The NIMC official said the new infrastructure would transform government operations by enabling electronic cabinet approvals, secure intergovernmental correspondence, authenticated digital procurement, electronic tax administration, digital land administration, licences and permits, as well as secure payroll and pension processes.
For citizens, he said, the system would provide easier access to government services, reduce repetitive identity verification, facilitate secure online transactions and provide legally recognized digital signatures while strengthening protection against identity theft.
For the private sector, the new framework would support trusted customer onboarding, secure Know-Your-Customer processes, digital account opening, electronic contract execution, insurance verification, digital lending and secure e-commerce.
He added that the system would also support financial inclusion, national cybersecurity, innovation, digital economic development and cross-border digital trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The Commission said the new Act also provides stronger powers for governance, compliance, investigation and administrative sanctions across sectors, including finance, insurance and public services.
It further emphasises personal data protection and consent-based disclosure, with NIMC expected to continue collaborating with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission to safeguard citizens’ information.
ID4D Project Supports Act Reform
Speaking on behalf of the Nigeria Digital ID4D Project, Adebayo said the project had supported the Federal Government’s efforts since 2020 to establish a robust, inclusive and trusted foundational identity system.
He said legal reform was a major component of the project because the previous NIMC Act, enacted in 2007, had become inadequate for the demands of modern digital identity management.
According to him, the project provided technical and financial support for the review process, including diagnostic studies, stakeholder consultations, technical drafting, public hearings and international benchmarking.
He said consultations held in Abuja and Lagos in February 2024 provided opportunities for citizens, civil society organizations, financial institutions and the media to contribute to the reform process.
Adebayo said President Tinubu’s assent to the NIMC Act 2026 on June 26 marked a significant milestone, as the law repealed the 2007 Act and provided a stronger legal foundation for Nigeria’s identity management system.
He said the new law would strengthen inclusion, clarify eligibility, improve protection of personal data and provide greater guarantees around the lawful use and disclosure of identity information.
He urged the media to help Nigerians understand not only the existence of the new law but also its practical benefits, particularly stronger data protection, clearer identity rights and improved access to essential services.
NIMC Begins Implementation of New Act
The Commission said implementation of the new Act had already commenced, with about three dozen ministries, departments and agencies engaged as part of efforts to familiarize institutions with the new law and ensure effective implementation.
NIMC is also developing a 2026–2031 Strategy Document, which will provide timelines and activities for implementing the new provisions and ensuring that digital public infrastructure and digital trust components become fully operational.
On the PKI component, the Commission said discussions were underway with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to leverage existing infrastructure rather than duplicate investments.
A technical working group involving NIMC and NITDA has been established to facilitate the process.
Three Years of Coker-Odusote Administration
The roundtable also highlighted the achievements of Coker-Odusote, who marked three years in office as Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NIMC.
According to the presentation, her administration introduced a five-point agenda aligned with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Federal Government’s objective of strengthening Nigeria’s national identity system.
- The first priority was increased enrollment.
The Commission said NIN enrolment had risen from about 80 million when Coker-Odusote assumed office to more than 136 million enrolments as of July 2026.
The increase was attributed to the renewal and strengthening of front-end partner licences, expansion of enrolment centres in Nigeria and the diaspora, deployment of more enrolment systems and introduction of pre-enrolment services.
More than 2,500 new enrolment devices had been deployed, while close to 15,000 additional enrolment centres had been added to expand access.
- The second priority was the harmonization and integration of identity data across government agencies.
NIMC said NIN had been integrated with several agencies, including the Nigerian Immigration Service, Nigerian Revenue Service, Corporate Affairs Commission and Federal Road Safety Commission, among others.
- The third agenda focused on the General Multipurpose Card (GMPC), which the Commission said was expected to be relaunched before the end of 2026 and support multiple applications, including the NIMC Mobile Wallet ID.
- The fourth priority was expanding access to services and promoting financial inclusion through government-to-people payments, with NIN increasingly required for accessing government support programmes, including student loans and welfare and palliative interventions.
- The fifth agenda was increased public and private-sector participation in the use of NIN as a foundational identity.
The Commission also highlighted the launch of NINAuth for secure digital identity verification, improved diaspora services and nationwide enrolment expansion supported by trained Nigerian youths.
It said the migration of telecommunications operators to NINAuth would further enhance security and help reduce identity-related fraud.
The Director of Public Affairs, Dr Kayode Adegoke, also highlighted improvements in staff welfare and operational capacity, including a 25 per cent salary increase across the board, provision of laptops and iPads as working tools, and functional staff buses.
NIMC Clarifies NIN Modification, Border Control
Responding to questions from journalists, the NIMC representative said Nigerians could modify certain identity information without necessarily visiting a physical NIMC centre.
He explained that changes to names, addresses and other permitted information could be initiated through NIMC’s self-service platform, while applicants requiring assistance could visit NIMC offices.
He, however, stressed that modifications required appropriate supporting documents. An age modification could require documentation from the National Population Commission, while a name change could require an affidavit and, where applicable, a marriage certificate.
He said the self-service option had helped reduce congestion at NIMC enrolment centres, particularly during periods when students and young Nigerians sought identity modifications ahead of examinations.
The Commission also clarified that border management was not part of NIMC’s mandate, stressing that the responsibility rested with the Nigerian Immigration Service.
It said NIMC’s role was to provide identity infrastructure that could support agencies responsible for border management and other national security functions.
The Commission said the broader objective of the new identity architecture was to build an ecosystem capable of supporting secure, efficient and trusted services across Nigeria’s public and private sectors.
With the NIMC Act 2026, identity would no longer serve merely as a means of establishing who a person is, but increasingly as foundational infrastructure for trust, secure transactions, digital services, inclusion and national development.
