The National Identity Management Commission has enrolled more than 136 million Nigerians and legal residents into the country’s national identity database as the government begins implementing a new law aimed at transforming its digital identity infrastructure.
The commission disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday signed by Head of Corporate Communications, NIMC, Kayode Adegoke, following the agency’s stakeholder engagement with the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning on the implementation of the new NIMC Act.
The legislation, which repeals the 2007 NIMC Act, places the National Identification Number at the centre of Nigeria’s identity ecosystem through a “one person, one identity” framework designed to create a single, trusted identity system for residents.
Under the new law, NIMC will serve as the root certificate authority for the country’s digital identity infrastructure, with expanded responsibilities around digital credentials, cybersecurity and data protection.
NIMC Director-General,
Abisoye Coker-Odusote, said the commission aims to complete enrolment and issuance of NINs to all Nigerians and legal residents within the shortest possible time.
“We have successfully enrolled more than 136 million Nigerians and legal residents into the National Identity Database, and NIMC will collaborate with the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning to leverage the NIN for economic planning and national development initiatives,” she said.
The government views a comprehensive identity database as a critical tool for improving public service delivery, strengthening economic planning and expanding access to digital services, including financial inclusion and social intervention programmes.
The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, described the new law as a major milestone in building a secure and inclusive identity management system.
Bagudu said the effectiveness of the legislation would depend on its implementation and the benefits delivered to citizens, urging closer cooperation among federal, state and local governments to eliminate duplicate identity databases.
“The National Identification Number should serve as Nigeria’s single, universally accepted identity standard, supporting efficient service delivery and good governance,” he said.
Nigeria’s push for a unified digital identity system comes as governments globally increasingly rely on secure identification infrastructure to improve planning, reduce fraud and widen access to public and private sector services.