President Bola Tinubu has signed into law the repealed and re-enacted National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act, 2026, in a move aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s digital identity management system and enhancing national security.
The signing ceremony was held at the Presidential Villa and attended by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, senior government officials and other dignitaries.
The newly enacted legislation empowers the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to harmonise identity records across the country, synchronise government databases and improve interoperability among public institutions.
Speaking with journalists after the ceremony, Senate President Akpabio said the integration of the NIMC database with the Ministry of Interior’s digital platforms had already begun yielding positive security outcomes.
According to him, the enhanced digital identity system recently enabled security agencies to identify and apprehend suspected terrorist operatives upon their arrival in Nigeria.
“Just last week, we were able to apprehend terrorist chiefs who were coming in from Saudi Arabia, in Katsina, of all places. When they landed, they just put their names on the computer; it brought out that these are criminals, and they arrested them,” Akpabio said.
He said the development demonstrates the importance of integrating government databases to improve intelligence gathering, identity verification and national security operations.
The re-enacted NIMC Act is expected to strengthen coordination among government agencies, facilitate efficient public service delivery and enhance the country’s digital identity infrastructure.
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