The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has enrolled more than 136 million Nigerians and legal residents into the National Identity Database, marking a major milestone as the newly enacted NIMC Act begins implementation.
Director-General of NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, disclosed the figure during a visit by the commission’s management team to the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, in Abuja. The visit formed part of ongoing consultations with government ministries, departments and agencies on the implementation of the new identity law signed by President Bola Tinubu two weeks ago.
Coker-Odusote said the new legislation replaces the 2007 Act and modernises Nigeria’s digital identity framework by making the National Identification Number (NIN) the country’s foundational identity under the “one person, one identity” policy. The law also designates NIMC as the root certificate authority for Nigeria’s digital infrastructure while strengthening data protection, cybersecurity and digital identity systems.
She reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to enrolling all Nigerians and legal residents into the national identity database within the shortest possible time. According to her, the commission is also ready to work closely with the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning to leverage the NIN for economic planning and national development initiatives.
Bagudu described the new Act as a significant milestone for Nigeria’s digital transformation, noting that it provides a stronger legal framework for a secure, trusted and inclusive national identity system. He commended the NIMC leadership for driving the passage of the legislation and stressed that its success would ultimately depend on effective implementation.
The minister called for greater collaboration across the federal, state and local governments to build public trust in the identity ecosystem and eliminate duplication of identity databases across public institutions. He added that the National Identification Number should become Nigeria’s single, universally accepted identity standard to improve service delivery and strengthen governance.
