The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has strengthened partnerships with key ministries to accelerate the implementation of the new NIMC Act 2026, expand National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment and deepen the use of digital identity across government programmes and the private sector.
The Director-General of NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, held separate meetings in Abuja with the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Dr. Bernard Doro; and the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Sen. John Owan Enoh, to deepen collaboration on implementing the new Act.
The meetings focused on expanding Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem, strengthening data protection, improving public service delivery and accelerating the adoption of the National Identification Number (NIN) across government programmes and the private sector.
Speaking during the meeting, Idris commended NIMC’s leadership for what he described as remarkable progress in transforming identity management over the past three years, noting that more than 136 million Nigerians have been enrolled in the national identity database.
He said although the achievement was significant, millions of Nigerians were yet to be registered, stressing the need for NIMC to intensify grassroots enrolment through the National Orientation Agency (NOA).
“The National Orientation Agency has offices in every local government area in Nigeria. Working closely with the agency will ensure that identity registration reaches the grassroots where it is needed most,” he said.
The minister described digital identity as critical to national planning, economic reforms and social inclusion, adding that government cannot effectively plan for citizens without reliable demographic data.
He also praised NIMC for maintaining a secure database without any reported data breach and assured the commission of the support of agencies under the Ministry of Information, including the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and NOA, to boost public awareness on identity enrolment.
Responding, Coker-Odusote said the new NIMC Act 2026 had strengthened legal provisions for data protection and enforcement against identity-related crimes.
She explained that unlike the repealed 2007 Act, the new law incorporates provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Act and empowers NIMC to prosecute identity fraud in collaboration with security agencies and the Ministry of Justice.
She disclosed that the commission had revived its Inspectorate Compliance and Enforcement (ICE) Unit to tackle illegal enrolment centres, identity theft and online fraud in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser and other security agencies.
According to her, NIMC has also commenced nationwide ward-level enrolment following President Bola Tinubu’s directive to ensure that every Nigerian is captured in the national identity database.
She said the exercise targets women, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, refugees and other vulnerable groups to promote inclusive national planning and service delivery.
During her meeting with the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Coker-Odusote said NIMC was ready to strengthen collaboration on cash transfers, school feeding and other social intervention programmes through verified digital identity.
She said the “One Identity, One Number” policy under the new Act would improve transparency, eliminate duplication and ensure government support reaches genuine beneficiaries.
Doro welcomed the partnership, saying trusted and verifiable identity data would strengthen humanitarian programmes and improve the credibility of government interventions.
He noted that the ministry already relies on validated identity data for cash transfer programmes and described Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) as essential for effective coordination across government agencies.
Coker-Odusote also met with the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Sen. John Owan Enoh, to discuss expanding the use of digital identity across Nigeria’s business environment, promoting digital trust and supporting economic reforms through secure identity verification.
She added that the Tinubu administration had enhanced collaboration among ministries, departments and agencies, enabling NIMC to integrate identity services across critical sectors and accelerate Nigeria’s digital transformation.
