Nigeria has updated its national identity legal framework in a bid to modernize data security, fight fraud, and broaden access to public services across Africa’s most populous nation.
Senior officials and media representatives gathered in the capital, Abuja, to discuss the implementation of the newly enacted National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026. Signed into law in June, the legislation replaces a nearly two-decade-old statute, establishing a modern legal foundation for the country’s expanding digital public infrastructure.
The updated law positions the NIMC as Nigeria’s central certification authority for digital identification, introducing stricter data protection guidelines and enhanced cybersecurity protocols. A key feature of the overhaul includes migrating telecommunications operators and financial institutions to a new authentication platform—NINAuth—designed to streamline digital verification and drastically reduce identity theft.
Database enrolments have reached over 136 million citizens as of July, according to commission statistics. However, reaching marginalized populations, including women, rural dwellers, and persons with disabilities, remains a key challenge.
The law’s enactment follows years of preparation supported by the Nigeria Digital ID4D Project, a multi-agency initiative aimed at expanding coverage and integrating identity registration with civil birth records. Officials say the new framework will make it easier for vulnerable citizens to obtain legal identification, ensuring better access to government welfare programmes, banking, and essential social services.
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