President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act, 2026 into law, ushering in what the Federal Government describes as a new era of secure digital identity, enhanced cybersecurity and digital governance in Nigeria.
The landmark legislation repeals the NIMC Act of 2007 and provides a modern legal framework designed to align Nigeria’s national identity management system with global best practices, emerging technologies and the demands of a rapidly expanding digital economy.
In a statement signed by the Head of Corporate Communications at NIMC, Dr. Kayode Adegoke, the Commission described the new law as the most significant reform of Nigeria’s identity management framework since the establishment of the agency, noting that it reinforces Nigeria’s commitment to building a secure, trusted, inclusive and interoperable digital identity ecosystem.
A major innovation introduced by the new Act is the designation of NIMC as the Root Certification Authority for Nigeria’s National Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), making the Commission the nation’s trusted authority for secure digital identity, authentication and electronic trust services across both government and private-sector platforms.
The law also empowers NIMC to facilitate secure, interoperable and seamless data exchange among Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), financial institutions, private organisations and other authorised entities, providing the institutional foundation for a trusted digital economy.
According to the Commission, the legislation directly supports President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by accelerating digital transformation, strengthening national security, expanding financial and social inclusion, improving public service delivery and advancing Nigeria’s ambition of becoming a one-trillion-dollar economy.
Explaining the rationale behind the reform, NIMC said the rapid evolution of digital services, e-governance, electronic commerce, data protection requirements and cybersecurity threats over the past two decades made it imperative to replace the 2007 law with a more robust and contemporary legal framework.
Among the key provisions of the Act are stronger safeguards for personal data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act and international privacy standards; establishment of the National Identification Number (NIN) as Nigeria’s foundational identity credential under the “One Person, One Identity” principle; formal recognition of both physical and digital identity credentials linked to the NIN; and stricter penalties for multiple registrations, identity theft, impersonation and related offences.
The legislation also introduces an innovative identity system for vulnerable persons, mandates measures to facilitate enrolment of underserved populations, including persons without permanent residences, and promotes greater digital and financial inclusion.
In addition, the Act positions the NIMC General Multipurpose Card as a versatile identity credential under the theme, “One Card, Multiple Possibilities,” while enabling trusted authentication, encryption, digital signatures, digital certificates and secure identity verification services nationwide.
NIMC said Nigerians should expect wider and easier access to identity services, including for citizens in the diaspora, stronger protection of personal data, enhanced cybersecurity, faster identity verification, reduced identity-related fraud, improved interoperability among institutions, better ease of doing business and more efficient public service delivery.
The Commission assured Nigerians that implementation of the new law would be guided by the principles of transparency, inclusivity, professionalism, innovation and citizen-centred service delivery while safeguarding personal data and strengthening public confidence in Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem.
NIMC expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for what it described as his visionary leadership in signing the historic legislation into law. The Commission also commended the leadership of the National Assembly, particularly the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, members of the Joint Committee on Identity and National Population Commission, the Minister of Interior, development partners including Identity for Development (ID4D), stakeholders, management and staff of NIMC, and Nigerians for their support in achieving the milestone.
The Commission disclosed that regulations, guidelines and other subsidiary instruments would be issued in due course to ensure effective implementation of the Act while engagements with government institutions, the private sector, development partners and other stakeholders would continue to facilitate a smooth transition to the new legal framework.
