The Federal Government says it is exploring the use of digital identity technology to track mining operators, strengthen regulation and tackle insecurity in the solid minerals sector.
Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, disclosed this while receiving the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, and her management team during a courtesy visit to his office in Abuja.
A statement on Sunday by the minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Lara Owoeye-Wise, said the ministry and NIMC were deepening collaboration to promote digital identity, strengthen governance and accelerate reforms in the mining sector.
Alake described NIMC as a critical institution for national development, stressing that effective governance depends on credible identity management and reliable data.
“Without identification, we cannot trace; we cannot track, and insecurity will flourish. In the solid minerals sector, we need effective tracking of both legal and illegal operations. A credible identity ecosystem will strengthen regulation, improve enforcement and support our efforts to sanitise the sector,” he said.
The minister added that digital identity, technology and data would improve regulatory oversight, licensing, investment promotion and evidence-based policymaking, while helping government distinguish legitimate operators from illegal miners.
Speaking earlier, Coker-Odusote said the recently enacted NIMC Act 2026 had strengthened Nigeria’s digital identity framework and created opportunities for deeper integration across government institutions.
According to her, deploying NIMC’s digital identity infrastructure in the mining sector would improve regulatory compliance, strengthen security, enhance monitoring of operators and support the implementation of Community Development Agreements in mining host communities.
She added that both institutions were committed to technology-driven collaboration aimed at improving transparency, accountability and governance in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
