Nigeria's amended NIMC Act boosts digital ID security and service access

President Bola Tinubu signed the amended National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act on June 26, expanding the commission’s legal mandate. The new law makes the National Identification Number (NIN) compulsory across 14 critical sectors, including banking, passports, land titles, pensions, voting, tax and business registration, and designates NIMC as the Root Certification Authority for the country’s public‑key infrastructure. By unifying fragmented identity records, the act aims to simplify verification, curb identity theft, improve service delivery and support Nigeria’s Ease of Doing Business reforms.

Defence Minister Retired General Christopher Musa welcomed the framework, saying accurate citizen data is vital for security and counter‑terrorism. He announced a partnership with NIMC Director General Abisoye Coker‑Odusote to create formal data‑sharing channels between the military and the civil identity registry, enabling secure identity verification for defence operations. Both officials highlighted the law’s potential to strengthen intelligence gathering, reduce fraud and enhance national security through reliable digital identity infrastructure.