Nigeria’s drive to build a single national identity system has reached a major milestone, with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) announcing that more than 136 million Nigerians and legal residents have now been enrolled into the National Identity Database.
The achievement comes as the newly signed National Identity Management Commission Act 2026 takes effect, replacing the 2007 law and giving stronger legal backing to Nigeria’s digital identity programme.
Abisoye Coker-Odusote, the director-general of NIMC, announced the figure during a courtesy visit to the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, where discussions centred on implementing the new law and deepening collaboration between government agencies.
Beyond the enrolment figures, analysts say the development marks another important step in Nigeria’s efforts to build a digital economy where citizens can access government services using a single trusted identity.
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