Tinubu signs NIMC Act into law

President Bola Tinubu has signed the National Identity Management Commission Act 2026 into law, strengthening 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 NIMC, Dr Abisoye Coker-Odusote, commended Tinubu for assenting to the Act, saying the President’s commitment to digital transformation had once again positioned the country for a future driven by innovation, trust and inclusion.

In a statement made available to Saturday PUNCH, Odusote said the 2026 NIMC Act builds on the NIMC Act of 2007 by establishing 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 cornerstone of identity verification and authentication across the country.

Odusote added that the Act introduces critical innovations 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 provide a common 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.