ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-President Bola Tinubu has signed the National Identity Management Commission Act 2026 into law, reinforcing the legal framework for Nigeria’s digital identity system.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced the development in a post on his verified X handle on Friday.
“President Bola Tinubu assented to the National Identity Management Commission Act 2026, in the State House on Friday,” Onanuga wrote.
Also confirming the development, the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission, Dr Abisoye Coker-Odusote, praised Tinubu for signing the legislation, saying the President’s commitment to digital transformation had once again positioned Nigeria for a future driven by innovation, trust and inclusion.
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In a statement Odusote said the 2026 NIMC Act expands on the 2007 Act by creating a modern legal framework that strengthens the country’s Digital Public Infrastructure and lays the foundation for trusted digital identity and seamless access to government and private sector services.
According to the NIMC DG, the law reinforces the National Identification Number as the foundation for identity verification and authentication across the country.
Odusote added that the Act introduces key innovations designed to address the realities of today’s digital environment.
“It strengthens the protection of citizens’ personal data, reinforces cybersecurity measures, provides the legal basis for a robust National Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), and supports secure digital authentication, encryption and digital signatures. These provisions will enhance trust in digital transactions and protect Nigerians in an increasingly connected economy.
“The Act promotes greater inclusion by ensuring that vulnerable and underserved populations have access to legal identity, enabling them to participate fully in social, economic, and financial opportunities. In the same vein, the Act provides the legal basis for NIMC to become the single root of trust (Root Certificate Authority) for all government transactions,” Odusote said.
She noted that the law would also eliminate duplicate identity investments and establish a unified framework for Nigerian National Public Key Infrastructures in line with global best practices.
“As the ultimate trust anchor, NIMC is poised to support all agencies of government in the issuance of digital certificates to citizens and end-users. This means that all government agencies can generate digital certificates used to cryptographically authenticate documents, guaranteeing their origin, integrity and non-repudiation across digital ecosystems,” she said.