The Federal Government has reiterated its resolve to fully implement the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026 as part of efforts to establish the National Identification Number (NIN) as the country’s sole official means of identification.
The commitment was restated on Monday in Abuja during a strategic meeting between the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, and the Director-General of NIMC, Dr Abisoye Odusote.
Bagudu described the new law as a significant reform that would enhance Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem, improve governance, and promote evidence-based policymaking, adding that it provides a stronger legal foundation for a secure, reliable, and inclusive national identity system.
He stressed that the success of the law would depend on effective implementation and its ability to deliver tangible benefits to citizens.
The minister called for greater collaboration among federal, state and local governments to eliminate multiple identity databases and build confidence in the country’s identity management framework.
He maintained that the NIN should become the nation’s universally accepted means of identification to improve public service delivery and governance.
According to him, “a comprehensive national identity database would provide accurate demographic and socio-economic data needed for development planning, efficient resource allocation and service delivery at all levels of government”.
He also emphasised the importance of data privacy, cybersecurity and stronger safeguards as Nigeria expands its digital identity ecosystem.
Earlier, NIMC Director General Abisoye Odusote explained that the new Act repeals the 2007 legislation, establishes the NIN as the foundational identifier under the “one person, one identity” policy, and introduces stronger data protection and digital infrastructure provisions.
