By EDITOR.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday signed the 2026 National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act into law, in a move the Federal Government says will modernise identity management, strengthen national security, and deepen Nigeria’s digital economy.
The signing took place at the State House, Abuja, in the presence of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, House Leader Julius Ihonvbere, Attorney-General Prince Lateef Fagbemi, and Interior Minister Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
Also present were World Bank representative Taimur Samad and NIMC Director-General Dr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote.
“NIMC database aided arrest of terrorists” Interior Minister Dr. Tunji-Ojo described the new law as a landmark achievement for internal security.
He revealed that the harmonised identity database was instrumental in the arrest of seven Boko Haram and ISWAP commanders last Thursday.
“Seven of the known commanders of Boko Haram and ISWAP at the point of coming back from Mecca were arrested in Katsina at the airport and were handed over to the DSS,” Tunji-Ojo said. He explained that the integration of NIMC’s database with Immigration and Interpol made the operation possible.
“What you have in immigration is what you have in the NIMC database… it’s already speaking to even Interpol 24/7, and we have been able to automate this,” he added.
The Minister said the old system was “disconnected,” but under President Tinubu, it is now mandatory to pull NIMC data for passports and other services. “Today, you can’t get a Nigerian passport without pulling data from NIMC,” he stated.
Key provisions of the Act* According to the government, the NIMC Act 2026 will accelerate the harmonisation of identity databases, enhance the integrity of the National Identification Number (NIN) system, improve inter-agency collaboration, and strengthen the fight against identity theft, terrorism, and financial crimes.
Dr. Coker-Odusote said the new law closes a 19-year gap. “For 19 years, the legal framework governing Nigeria’s identity management system remained unchanged while the digital landscape evolved rapidly. Today, that gap has been closed,” she said.
She described the Act as “a bold leap into the future” that reinforces the NIN as the cornerstone of identity verification nationwide.
National Assembly backing; Senate President Akpabio welcomed the assent, saying the Act reflects the National Assembly’s commitment to laws that meet Nigeria’s security and developmental needs. He credited the legislation to President Tinubu’s “innovation and reform agenda.
”Deputy Speaker Kalu called it a “transformative reform” that will improve governance and accountability. “The world is aware that the NIMC Act of 2007 was obsolete.
Mr President, today marks a historic milestone in Nigeria’s digital transformation,” he said.The Act was signed on June 26, 2026.
