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Nigerian President Bola Tinubu signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026 into law at the State House on Friday.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga announced the signing, which marks a significant legislative shift.
The new Act repeals and replaces the obsolete 2007 NIMC framework, establishing a modern legal foundation that aligns Nigeria’s identity management system with global digital standards and emerging technologies.
The legislation officially designates NIMC as the Root Certification Authority for Nigeria’s National Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).
This strategic role establishes the commission as the nation’s trusted authority for secure digital identity, authentication, and electronic trust services across both public and private sectors.
The law also empowers the agency to manage seamless data exchanges, advancing President Tinubu’s agenda to accelerate digital transformation and grow Nigeria into a one-trillion-dollar economy.
Government officials, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio and NIMC Director-General Abisoye Coker-Odusote, witnessed the signing ceremony in Abuja.
Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo praised the law’s immediate impact on national security, revealing that authorities recently used the synchronised identity databases to arrest seven Boko Haram and ISWAP commanders at the Katsina airport upon their return from Mecca.
The new framework greatly improves border control, fights identity theft, and protects the privacy of all Nigerians’ personal data by connecting NIMC data with immigration and Interpol systems.
