President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026 into law, ushering in a new legal framework aimed at strengthening Nigeria's digital identity ecosystem, improving data protection and expanding access to essential public and private sector services.
Announcing the development in a statement on Friday, Tinubu said the new legislation marks the end of an outdated identity management regime that had been in place for nearly two decades.
"For nearly twenty years, Nigeria's identity system operated under a law written for a different era. That era is over," the President said.
He explained that the Act provides Nigeria with a modern identity framework designed to support the country's digital transformation and long-term economic ambitions.
According to him, the legislation positions the National Identity Management Commission at the centre of Nigeria's Digital Public Infrastructure and National Public Key Infrastructure, enabling the secure verification of identities, digital signatures and electronic transactions.
"This new Act gives our country a modern, secure, inclusive and digital identity framework fit for the Nigeria we are building; a Nigeria on the path to becoming a one-trillion-dollar economy," Tinubu stated.
The President said the law also introduces stronger safeguards for the protection of personal information, insisting that citizens' data must only be accessed and processed in accordance with consent and due legal process.
"The privacy of Nigerians must be protected, and this law makes that clear," he said.
Tinubu disclosed that the National Identification Number (NIN) will now play a more central role in accessing a broad range of services, including passport issuance, voter registration, banking, telecommunications, land transactions, pensions, insurance, tax payments, consumer credit and other government services.
"One person. One identity. One number," he declared.
The President said he directed that the legislation should be inclusive, ensuring that vulnerable persons, underserved communities and Nigerians in the Diaspora are not excluded from opportunities because they lack a trusted identity.
"I gave specific instructions that this law must also protect the vulnerable, the underserved, and Nigerians in the Diaspora. No Nigerian should be locked out of opportunity because they lack a trusted identity," he said.
Tinubu further stated that the Act strengthens the governance structure of the National Identity Management Commission by expanding representation on its board, enhancing accountability and introducing tougher sanctions against identity-related offences.
He said the law prescribes stiffer penalties for identity theft, multiple registration, unauthorised access to personal information and other abuses of the national identity system.
"We will not tolerate those who forge identities, steal the identities of others, or exploit the system," the President warned.
Tinubu commended the National Assembly for passing the legislation and acknowledged the contributions of the Minister of Interior, the National Identity Management Commission, development partners and other stakeholders involved in the process.
He described the enactment of the law as another milestone in his administration's Renewed Hope Agenda, saying it would help build "a more secure, inclusive and prosperous Nigeria."
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