The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the Association of Corporate Online Editors (ACOE) on Monday held a roundtable workshop in Abuja to examine the implications of the newly enacted NIMC Act 2026 and its potential impact on Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem.
The workshop, themed “The New NIMC Act: Building Trust, Enabling Services, Transforming Nigeria,” brought together NIMC officials, members of the online media and other stakeholders to review the commission’s achievements, ongoing reforms and the critical role of public awareness in building trust in the national identity system.
Among the NIMC officials at the event were the Director of Public Relations, Dr Kayode Adegoke; 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 of NIMC, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, was represented by the Director, SERVICOM, Mrs Florence Oloruntade.
In his goodwill message, the Chairman of ACOE commended the NIMC leadership, describing the association’s four-year partnership with the commission as productive and impactful.
He said ACOE remained committed to keeping Nigerians informed about NIMC’s activities, reforms and achievements, stressing that the media had a significant role to play in helping citizens understand the importance of the country’s evolving digital identity infrastructure.
The ACOE chairman said NIMC had recorded significant milestones under Coker-Odusote’s leadership, including the expansion of the National Identity Database to more than 136 million enrolments as of July 2026.
He also cited the introduction of NINAuth for secure digital identity verification, strengthening of digital identity infrastructure, improved services for Nigerians in the diaspora and nationwide enrolment expansion supported by trained Nigerian youths.
According to him, the migration of telecommunications operators to NINAuth would further strengthen identity verification and help curb identity-related fraud.
He described the NIMC Act 2026, signed into law in June, as another major milestone in Nigeria’s identity management journey, noting that it modernised the legal framework and positioned NIMC as the Root Certification Authority for Nigeria’s Public Key Infrastructure and Digital Public Infrastructure.
He added that the new law strengthened data protection and cybersecurity while supporting financial and social inclusion, government services and private-sector transactions through digital identity.
The ACOE chairman said the legislation would also facilitate enrolment of vulnerable and underserved Nigerians and further position NIMC at the centre of Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure.
Also speaking, NIMC’s Director of Public Affairs, Dr Kayode Adegoke, 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.
Speaking on behalf of the Nigeria Digital ID4D Project, Adebayo said the project had supported the Federal Government since 2020 in its efforts to establish a robust, inclusive and trusted foundational identity system.
She said legal reform was a key component of the project because the previous NIMC Act, enacted in 2007, had become inadequate to address the demands of modern digital identity management.
According to her, the project provided technical and financial support for the review process through diagnostic studies, stakeholder consultations, technical drafting, public hearings and international benchmarking.
She said consultations held in Abuja and Lagos in February 2024 gave citizens, civil society organisations, financial institutions and the media opportunities to contribute to the reform process.
Adebayo said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the NIMC Act 2026 on June 26 marked a significant milestone, as the legislation repealed the 2007 Act and established a stronger legal foundation for Nigeria’s identity management system.
She explained that the new law would strengthen inclusion, clarify eligibility, improve personal data protection and provide greater guarantees around the lawful use and disclosure of identity information.
She added that the Nigeria Digital ID4D Project would continue to support NIMC in expanding enrolment, integrating national identity with civil registration, modernising its systems and improving access for women, persons with disabilities and other underserved groups.
Adebayo urged the media to go beyond reporting the existence of the new law by helping Nigerians understand its practical benefits, particularly stronger data protection, clearer identity rights and improved access to essential services.
She described the enactment of the NIMC Act 2026 as a major milestone for both NIMC and Nigeria, saying it would move the country closer to a robust, inclusive and trusted national identity system capable of facilitating access to essential services for all Nigerians.
