President Bola Tinubu on Friday signed the National Identity Management Commission Act 2026 into law at the State House in Abuja, replacing the 2007 version.
The new law gives Nigeria an updated legal base for managing digital identities, improving cybersecurity, and supporting national security. It aligns the country’s ID system with global standards, emerging tech, and the growth of Nigeria’s digital economy.
Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said the Act makes the NIMC Nigeria’s official certification authority for the national public key infrastructure and digital public infrastructure. The commission can now issue secure digital identities, handle authentication, and provide electronic trust services. It will also enable faster, safer data sharing between government agencies and private companies.
The law also cements the National Identification Number as Nigeria’s core identity credential under a “one person, one identity” rule.
Speaking after the signing, Tunji-Ojo said the Act will strengthen identity management, harmonize databases, boost interoperability, and improve secure digital authentication. He called it the legal backbone for Nigeria’s evolving digital and security systems.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the reform as forward-looking. He said it will aid national planning, infrastructure development, border control, and security. Akpabio noted the National Assembly held public hearings and international reviews before passing the bill, and that linking ID databases to security platforms has already helped law enforcement.
NIMC Director-General Abisoye Coker-Odusote called Tinubu’s assent a historic step nearly 20 years after the commission was created. She said the Act positions NIMC as the federal government’s trusted digital identity authority, responsible for secure authentication, encryption, digital signatures, and other electronic services.
Coker-Odusote added that the law should strengthen cybersecurity, improve public service delivery, expand financial and digital inclusion, build trust in online transactions, and speed up Nigeria’s digital transformation. The commission pledged to roll out the law transparently, professionally, and with strict data protection to ensure every Nigerian benefits.
The National Assembly began amending the 2007 Act in July 2024 to modernize Nigeria’s ID system.
