Tinubu Signs NIMC Act 2026 into Law, Unveils New Digital Identity Framework for Nigeria

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026 into law, introducing a new legal framework aimed at modernising Nigeria’s digital identity system, strengthening data protection, and supporting the country’s digital economy.

Announcing the development, President Tinubu said the new legislation replaces the nearly two-decade-old law that governed Nigeria’s identity management system, describing it as a major step towards building a modern, secure, inclusive, and digitally driven nation.

According to the President, the new Act positions the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) at the centre of Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure and National Public Key Infrastructure, enabling secure identity verification, digital signatures, trusted online transactions, and improved delivery of public and private sector services.

Tinubu said the law significantly enhances the protection of citizens’ personal data by ensuring that information cannot be accessed indiscriminately, used beyond its intended purpose, or processed without consent and due legal process.

He noted that the National Identification Number (NIN) would now serve as the primary gateway for accessing a wide range of essential services, including passport applications, voter registration, banking, land transactions, telecommunications, pensions, insurance, tax payments, consumer credit, and other government services.

Describing the reform as “One person. One identity. One number,” the President said he specifically directed that the law should guarantee inclusion for vulnerable groups, underserved communities, and Nigerians living in the diaspora, ensuring that no citizen is excluded from opportunities because of the absence of a trusted identity.

The President added that the Act strengthens the governance structure of NIMC by expanding representation on its governing board, improving institutional accountability, and prescribing stiffer penalties for identity theft, multiple registrations, unauthorised access to personal data, and other forms of abuse of the identity management system.

“We will not tolerate those who forge identities, steal the identities of others, or exploit the system,” Tinubu declared.

He commended the National Assembly, the Minister of Interior, the management of NIMC, development partners, and Nigerians for their contributions toward the successful passage of the legislation.

The President described the signing of the NIMC Act 2026 as another milestone under his Renewed Hope Agenda, expressing confidence that the law would strengthen national security, deepen financial inclusion, improve public service delivery, and accelerate Nigeria’s journey towards becoming a one-trillion-dollar economy.