More than 136 million Nigerians and legal residents have been enrolled into the National Identity Database, NIDB as the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC begin implementation of its new Act.
The Director-General of NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, disclosed the milestone during a courtesy visit to the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning as part of ongoing stakeholder engagements with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on the implementation of the new legislation.
During the visit, Coker-Odusote presented the new NIMC Act, which repeals and replaces the 2007 law, saying the legislation modernises Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem by establishing the National Identification Number (NIN) as the country’s foundational identifier under the “one person, one identity” policy.
According to her, the Act also designates NIMC as the root certificate authority for Nigeria’s national digital infrastructure while introducing stronger data protection, cybersecurity measures and digital credentials.
The NIMC boss reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to enrolling all Nigerians and legal residents and issuing them National Identification Numbers within the shortest possible time.
She also expressed the Commission’s readiness to collaborate with the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning in leveraging the NIN to strengthen economic planning and national development initiatives, while appreciating the Minister, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, for his support toward advancing the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Responding, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to the effective implementation of the NIMC Act 2026, describing it as a landmark legislation that would strengthen Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem and accelerate national planning and development.
He commended the Director-General and the leadership of NIMC for securing the passage of the Act, noting that it provides a solid legal framework for a trusted, secure and inclusive national identity management system.
The minister stressed that the success of the legislation would depend on its effective implementation and the tangible benefits delivered to Nigerians.
He called for stronger collaboration among federal, state and local governments to build public confidence in the national identity system and eliminate the duplication of identity databases across government institutions.
“The National Identification Number (NIN) should serve as Nigeria’s single, universally accepted identity standard, supporting efficient service delivery and good governance,” Bagudu said.
