President Bola Tinubu has signed the National Identity Management Commission Act 2026 into law, repealing the 2007 legislation and granting the commission expanded powers over Nigeria’s digital identity infrastructure.
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The National Identity Management Commission disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday by its Head of Corporate Communications, Kayode Adegoke.
Under the new law, NIMC has been designated as the Root Certification Authority for Nigeria’s National Public Key Infrastructure and Digital Public Infrastructure, placing the commission at the centre of the country’s digital identity, authentication and electronic trust framework.
The commission described the new legislation as a landmark reform aimed at strengthening cybersecurity, improving data protection, expanding financial inclusion and supporting Nigeria’s broader digital transformation agenda.
According to NIMC, the Act provides a modern legal framework designed to align Nigeria’s identity management system with global best practices and emerging technologies.
A major provision of the law empowers NIMC to serve as the trusted national authority responsible for digital identity authentication, electronic trust services, digital certificates, encryption and secure identity verification across public and private sector platforms.
The commission said the law would also facilitate secure and interoperable data exchange among government agencies, financial institutions and private organisations, thereby laying the foundation for a trusted digital economy.
“This landmark reform directly advances President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by accelerating digital transformation, strengthening national security, expanding financial and social inclusion, improving public service delivery and supporting the development of a secure Digital Public Infrastructure,” the commission stated.
NIMC noted that the previous legal framework had been in place for nearly two decades, during which the global digital landscape had changed significantly.
It said the growth of e-commerce, digital government services, cybersecurity threats and increasing data protection demands made it necessary to introduce a stronger and more contemporary identity management framework.
Under the new Act, the National Identification Number remains Nigeria’s foundational identity credential, reinforcing the principle of “One Person, One Identity” while enabling seamless identity verification across multiple platforms.
The law also contains enhanced protections for personal data, which NIMC said are aligned with the Nigeria Data Protection Act and international privacy standards.
In addition, the Act introduces stricter penalties for multiple registrations and strengthens measures aimed at combating identity theft, impersonation and other identity-related crimes.
Both physical and digital identity credentials are now formally recognised under the law, with all credentials linked to an individual’s National Identification Number.
NIMC said the legislation also provides special measures to facilitate the enrolment of vulnerable and underserved persons, including individuals without permanent residences, as part of efforts to improve inclusion.
According to the commission, Nigerians at home and in the diaspora are expected to benefit from faster and more secure identity verification, stronger protection of personal data, improved interoperability among institutions and reduced identity-related fraud.
Other expected benefits include wider financial inclusion, enhanced cybersecurity, improved ease of doing business and more efficient public service delivery.
The amendment of the old NIMC Act was one of the conditions for Nigeria to secure full funding under the $430 million World Bank Identity for Development project.
The World Bank had said Nigeria made significant progress toward fulfilling the final disbursement condition, which required the amendment of the NIMC Act to promote an inclusive and non-discriminatory legal and regulatory framework.
The Bank also reviewed Nigeria’s target under the project, increasing the number of Nigerians expected to be issued the National Identification Number from 148 million to 180 million.
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