President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026 into law, describing it as a major step towards strengthening Nigeria’s identity management system, national security and digital economy.
The signing ceremony, held at the State House, Abuja, was attended by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, NIMC Director-General Abisoye Coker-Odusote and other senior government officials.
Speaking after the signing, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said the new law would enhance Nigeria’s security architecture and improve coordination among government identity databases.
He disclosed that the integration of the National Identity Number (NIN) database with the immigration system recently led to the arrest of seven suspected Boko Haram and ISWAP commanders returning from the Holy Pilgrimage.
“Even last week, Thursday, seven of the known commanders of Boko Haram and ISWAP, at the point of coming back from Mecca, were arrested in Katsina at the airport and were handed over to the DSS,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He said the arrests were possible because the NIMC database now communicates directly with the Nigeria Immigration Service and Interpol.
“This is only possible because NIMC’s ID is already connected with the immigration database, and it’s already speaking to Interpol 24/7. We have been able to automate this.”
The minister said the Tinubu administration inherited a fragmented identity management system in which government databases operated independently.
“When Mr President came on board, we had a disconnected system within our identity data management system. At that time, getting a passport and getting a driving permit were completely disconnected from our identity database. But today, you can’t get a Nigerian passport without pulling data from NIMC.”
According to him, the new law will accelerate the harmonisation of identity databases, strengthen the National Identity Number (NIN), improve inter-agency collaboration and boost Nigeria’s fight against identity theft, terrorism and financial crimes.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the legislation as another milestone in the Tinubu administration’s reform agenda.
He said the National Assembly passed the law to address emerging security and development challenges while strengthening public confidence in Nigeria’s identity management system.
Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu said replacing the 2007 Act with a modern legal framework would improve governance, accountability and service delivery.
“Today marks a historic milestone in Nigeria’s digital transformation. It reflects the Federal Government’s bold commitment to building a robust, trusted and inclusive identity ecosystem.”
Director-General of NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, said the new legislation provides the Commission with a modern legal framework to deliver a world-class digital identity system.
She noted that the previous law had remained unchanged for 19 years despite rapid changes in the digital landscape.
“The NIMC Act 2026 establishes a modern legal framework that further strengthens Nigeria’s digital public infrastructure, laying the foundation for trusted identity and seamless access to government and private-sector services.”
She added that the Act reinforces the National Identification Number as the foundation for identity verification across the country and introduces new innovations to meet the demands of today’s digital economy.