NIMC, ACOE Examine Impact Of New Identity Law On Nigerians

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the Association of Corporate Online Editors (ACOE) have examined the implications of the newly enacted NIMC Act 2026, with stakeholders highlighting its potential to strengthen digital identity management, improve data protection and expand access to essential services.

The issues were discussed on Monday in Abuja at a roundtable workshop organised by NIMC in collaboration with ACOE, with the theme, *“The New NIMC Act: Building Trust, Enabling Services, Transforming Nigeria.”*

The forum provided an opportunity for NIMC officials and online media practitioners to examine the commission’s ongoing reforms and the changes introduced by the new legislation.

The ACOE chairman, in his goodwill message, commended NIMC for sustaining its partnership with the association over the past four years, describing the collaboration as productive.

He said the media had an important role in ensuring that Nigerians understood developments in the national identity system, particularly the practical implications of the new law.

The chairman cited the expansion of the National Identity Database to more than 136 million enrolments as of July 2026 as one of the major milestones recorded by the commission.

He also highlighted the introduction of NINAuth for secure digital identity verification, improvements in digital identity infrastructure, expanded services for Nigerians in the diaspora and nationwide enrolment supported by trained Nigerian youths.

He said the migration of telecommunications operators to NINAuth would further strengthen identity verification and help reduce identity-related fraud.

The ACOE chairman described the NIMC Act 2026, signed into law in June, as a major development that has modernised the legal framework for identity management in Nigeria.

Under the new law, NIMC is positioned as the Root Certification Authority for Nigeria’s Public Key Infrastructure and Digital Public Infrastructure, while provisions on data protection and cybersecurity have also been strengthened.

The legislation is expected to support financial and social inclusion as well as access to government services and private-sector transactions through digital identity.

The chairman said the law would also facilitate enrolment among vulnerable and underserved Nigerians and further establish NIMC as a key institution in the country’s Digital Public Infrastructure architecture.

The Director of Public Relations, NIMC, Dr Kayode Adegoke, also highlighted measures taken to improve the welfare and operational capacity of personnel.

He listed a 25 per cent salary increase across the board, provision of laptops and iPads as working tools and functional staff buses among the improvements recorded by the commission.

Speaking on behalf of the Nigeria Digital ID4D Project, Mr Seun Adebayo said the project had supported the Federal Government since 2020 in its efforts to establish a robust, inclusive and trusted foundational identity system.

He said the review of the legal framework was necessary because the previous NIMC Act, enacted in 2007, had become inadequate for the demands of modern digital identity management.

According to him, the Nigeria Digital ID4D Project provided technical and financial support for the review through diagnostic studies, stakeholder consultations, technical drafting, public hearings and international benchmarking.

Adebayo said consultations held in Abuja and Lagos in February 2024 provided opportunities for citizens, civil society organisations, financial institutions and the media to contribute to the legislative reform process.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the NIMC Act 2026 on June 26 marked a significant milestone, as the law repealed the 2007 Act and provided a stronger legal foundation for Nigeria’s identity management system,” he said.

He said the new law would strengthen inclusion, clarify eligibility for enrolment and provide greater safeguards for personal data, including clearer provisions governing the lawful use and disclosure of identity information.

Adebayo added that the Nigeria Digital ID4D Project would continue to support NIMC in expanding enrolment, integrating national identity with civil registration, modernising its systems and improving access for women, persons with disabilities and other underserved groups.

He urged journalists and online publishers to help Nigerians understand not only the existence of the new law but also how it could affect them.

He identified stronger data protection, clearer identity rights and improved access to essential services as some of the practical benefits of the new framework.

Adebayo described the enactment of the NIMC Act 2026 as a major milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to build a trusted and inclusive national identity system.

He said an effective identity system was critical to ensuring that citizens could access public and private services while helping government institutions improve service delivery and strengthen security.

The event was attended by NIMC officials including Adegoke, Ismail Sule, Elijah Adejoh and Munirat Lawal.

The Director-General of NIMC, Engr Abisoye Coker-Odusote, was represented by the Director, SERVICOM, Mrs Florence Oloruntade, while the Project Director, Project Implementation Unit of the Nigeria Digital ID4D Project, Mrs Tito Ejenavi, was represented by Adebayo.