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 and supporting the country’s digital transformation agenda.

The President assented to the legislation at the State House in Abuja on Friday.

Confirming the development, Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said in a brief statement posted on X that Tinubu had signed the National Identity Management Commission Act 2026 into law.

The NIMC described the legislation as a landmark reform that will drive the country’s transition towards a secure, inclusive and digitally enabled economy. According to the commission, the new law repeals and replaces the NIMC Act of 2007, establishing a modern framework that aligns Nigeria’s identity management system with global best practices, emerging technologies and the demands of a rapidly evolving digital economy.

A major provision of the Act designates NIMC as the Root Certification Authority for Nigeria’s National Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). This effectively positions the commission as the nation’s trusted authority for secure digital identity management, authentication and electronic trust services across government institutions and private-sector platforms.

The commission said the legislation also empowers it to facilitate secure, seamless and interoperable data exchange among public and private entities, providing a legal and institutional foundation for a trusted digital economy.

According to NIMC, the reform supports President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by accelerating digital transformation, strengthening national security, expanding financial and social inclusion, improving public service delivery and fostering innovation-driven economic growth.

The agency noted that the Act addresses the challenges and opportunities created by the rapid expansion of digital services by modernising Nigeria’s identity management framework, enhancing cybersecurity, protecting citizens’ personal data and strengthening trust in digital transactions.

It further stated that the law reinforces NIMC’s role as the statutory authority responsible for managing the national identification system, strengthens the principle of “one person, one identity,” and consolidates the National Identification Number (NIN) as the foundation for identity verification and authentication across both public and private-sector platforms.

NIMC said the legislation places the commission at the centre of Nigeria’s digital trust architecture through its oversight of the National Public Key Infrastructure and Digital Public Infrastructure.

Other key provisions of the Act include enhanced data protection and privacy measures, stronger anti-fraud safeguards, improved interoperability among digital systems, the introduction of a general multipurpose identity card, and greater inclusion of vulnerable and underserved groups.

The commission said implementation of the law will create a secure and interoperable digital identity ecosystem, enabling Nigerians to access services more efficiently while boosting confidence in digital transactions.

It added that citizens, including Nigerians in the diaspora, will benefit from easier access to identity services, stronger protection of personal information, improved cybersecurity and faster, more secure identity verification processes.

NIMC maintained that the legislation provides a stronger legal foundation for Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure, promotes trusted digital identity and authentication services, supports secure data exchange across sectors and advances the administration’s goal of building a one-trillion-dollar economy.