By Danjuma Amodu
President Bola Tinubu has signed the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, Act, 2026 into law, replacing the 2007 Act and creating a unified legal framework to drive a secure, interoperable, and inclusive digital identity system for Nigeria.
The landmark legislation significantly expands the powers of the National Identity Management Commission by designating it as the Root Certification Authority for Nigeria’s National Public Key Infrastructure, PKI, and Digital Public Infrastructure, DPI. This effectively places the Commission at the centre of the country’s digital identity, authentication, and electronic trust architecture.
The new law also reinforces the National Identification Number, NIN, as Nigeria’s foundational identity credential under the principle of “One Person, One Identity.” It further empowers NIMC to facilitate secure and seamless data exchange among government institutions, financial organisations, and private-sector entities.
The reforms are expected to strengthen digital governance, improve public service delivery, enhance cybersecurity, and support the federal government’s ambition of building a one-trillion-dollar economy through technology-driven growth.
In a statement on Friday, NIMC described the legislation as the most significant overhaul of Nigeria’s identity management framework since the Commission was established nearly two decades ago.
According to the Commission, the rapid expansion of digital services, e-governance, electronic commerce, data protection requirements, and evolving cyber threats made it imperative to replace the old law with a more robust and future-oriented legal framework aligned with international best practices.
Under the new Act, NIMC will be responsible for establishing and maintaining Nigeria’s National Public Key Infrastructure and Digital Public Infrastructure. It will provide trusted authentication systems, digital signatures, digital certificates, encryption services, and identity verification frameworks designed to improve confidence in digital transactions and online services.
The legislation also introduces stronger safeguards for personal data and privacy in alignment with the Nigeria Data Protection Act and global standards. It prescribes stringent penalties for multiple registrations, identity theft, impersonation, and other identity-related offences.
In a major inclusion initiative, the law introduces an innovative identifier system for vulnerable persons and mandates special measures to facilitate the enrolment of underserved populations, including individuals without permanent residences.
The Act further recognises both physical and digital identity credentials, all securely linked to an individual’s National Identification Number, thereby expanding opportunities for digital transactions and service delivery.
NIMC said the implementation of the new framework would enable faster and more secure identity verification, greater financial and digital inclusion, improved interoperability across government and private-sector platforms, and enhanced ease of doing business.
The Commission expressed gratitude to President Tinubu for what it described as his visionary leadership in signing the legislation. It noted that the reform would strengthen the protection of citizens’ data, improve cybersecurity, expand access to essential services, and provide a robust foundation for Nigeria’s digital economy and long-term national development.
It also commended the leadership and members of the National Assembly, the Ministry of Interior, development partners, and stakeholders whose contributions facilitated the passage of the legislation.
NIMC said it would subsequently issue regulations and guidelines necessary for the full implementation of the Act. It added that it would engage government institutions, the private sector, and development partners to ensure a seamless transition to the new legal framework.
