ABUJA — President Bola Tinubu on Friday signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026 into law, a move the Federal Government said will strengthen Nigeria’s identity management system, enhance national security, improve public service delivery and accelerate the country’s digital transformation.
The signing ceremony took place at the State House, Abuja, in the presence of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, House Leader Julius Ihonvbere, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, World Bank representative Taimur Samad, and Director-General of NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote.
Speaking after the signing, the Minister of Interior described the new law as a major milestone in the Federal Government’s ongoing reforms of Nigeria’s identity management architecture.
Tunji-Ojo said the legislation would strengthen inter-agency collaboration, improve the integrity of the National Identification Number (NIN) system, and enhance the country’s ability to combat terrorism, identity theft, financial crimes and other security threats.
He disclosed that the integration of the NIMC database with other government identity platforms had already yielded security gains, including the recent arrest of suspected terrorists.
