Nigeria’s NIMC enrolls 136 million under new digital ID law

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has enrolled more than 136 million Nigerians and legal residents in the National Identification Database, making it one of Africa’s largest identity systems. The rollout follows the enactment of the NIMC Act 2026, which modernises the commission’s framework, adds data‑protection and cybersecurity provisions, and establishes NIMC as the country’s foundational digital‑identity authority.

To achieve universal coverage, the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation partnered with NIMC, using the National Orientation Agency’s grassroots network across all 774 local government areas and a ward‑by‑ward campaign in 8,809 political wards. The drive targets women, children, persons with disabilities, refugees, diaspora members and other underserved groups, and is supported by public‑awareness campaigns through the News Agency of Nigeria.

NIMC is also expanding the use of the National Identification Number (NIN) across key sectors. Agreements with the Ministries of Agriculture and Food Security, Education and the Corporate Affairs Commission aim to improve beneficiary verification for farm subsidies, integrate learner records for better education planning, and strengthen business registration and digital transactions through Public‑Key Infrastructure. The commission reported no data breaches since the platform’s launch.