Nigeria’s drive to build a single national identity system has reached a major milestone, with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) announcing that more than 136 million Nigerians and legal residents have now been enrolled into the National Identity Database.
The achievement comes as the newly signed National Identity Management Act 2026 takes effect, replacing the 2007 law giving stronger legal backing to Nigeria’s digital identity programme.
Director-General of the Commission, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, disclosed this on Tuesday, in Abuja during a courtesy visit to the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.
Abisoye Coker-Odusote disclosed that under the updated framework, the National Identity Number (NIN) now served as the foundational identifier under a “One person, One identity” policy.
She said that the NIMC had also been established as the root certificate authority for the national digital infrastructure, with new provisions for data protection, cybersecurity, and digital credentials.
The Director-General reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to enrolling all Nigerians and legal residents within the shortest possible time, while expressing readiness to collaborate with the ministry on leveraging the NIN for economic planning and development initiatives.
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, described the legislation as a transformative milestone that would strengthen Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem and accelerate national planning.
Bagudu called for stronger collaboration across all levels of government with a view to building public confidence in the system and eliminating duplication of identity databases.
“The NIN should serve as Nigeria’s single, universally accepted identity standard, supporting efficient service delivery and good governance”
The Minister commended the NIMC leadership for security the passage of the landmark legislation, noting that its success would ultimately be measured by effective implementation and tangible benefits delivered to citizens.
-9News Nigeria.
