Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Friday signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act, 2026 into law, introducing a new legal framework aimed at strengthening the country’s identity management system, enhancing security and advancing digital governance.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said the law would improve coordination among government agencies by integrating national identity databases.
“The identity management architecture was fragmented. Today, obtaining a Nigerian passport is directly linked to the National Identity Number database, while immigration records now communicate seamlessly with NIMC and Interpol’s global security platform,” he said.
Tunji-Ojo said the integrated system recently enabled authorities to identify and arrest seven suspected Boko Haram and ISWAP commanders returning from the Hajj pilgrimage.
“It was through this integrated system that seven known commanders of Boko Haram and ISWAP returning from Mecca were identified, arrested at Katsina Airport and transferred to the DSS,” he said.
He described the legislation as a key reform that would strengthen the National Identity Number (NIN), improve inter-agency cooperation and boost Nigeria’s ability to tackle terrorism, identity theft and financial crimes.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the law reflected the government’s commitment to modernising the country’s legal framework to address evolving security and development challenges.
NIMC Director-General Abisoye Coker-Odusote said the legislation replaced the 2007 Act and provides a modern legal foundation for trusted digital identity, pledging its full implementation in collaboration with government agencies and development partners.
