President Bola Tinubu assented to the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, Act 2026 on Friday, June 26, 2026.
The new law repeals and replaces the NIMC Act No. 23 of 2007, which had governed Nigeria’s identity system for nearly 20 years.
What is NIMC?
The National Identity Management Commission is the federal agency mandated to:
1. Establish and manage the National Identity Database for Nigeria
2. Register all persons covered under the Act
3. Assign a Unique National Identification Number, NIN, to every enrollee
4. Issue General Multi-Purpose Cards, GMPC, to Nigerian citizens and other persons legally residing in Nigeria
19 Things You Probably Do Not Know About the new NIMC Act 2026
This legislation marks a transformative milestone in Nigeria’s path to a secure, inclusive, and digitally empowered nation.
The Act strengthens data protection and privacy by introducing robust safeguards for personal data. It aligns with the Nigeria Data Protection Act, NDPA, and international best practices to ensure Nigerians’ personal information is processed, stored, and protected to globally accepted privacy standards.
It also designates NIMC as the Root Certification Authority for Nigeria’s National Public Key Infrastructure, PKI, and Digital Public Infrastructure, DPI.
The Act establishes NIMC as the nation’s trusted authority for secure digital identity, authentication, and electronic trust services.
It empowers NIMC to enable secure, interoperable, and seamless data exchange among Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, private organisations, and other authorised entities.
The Act also positions the NIMC General Multipurpose Card as a versatile identity credential for nationwide verification under the theme: “One Card, Multiple Possibilities.”
It repeals the 20-year-old 2007 NIMC Act. The 2026 version replaces a paper-era framework with a fully digital, secure identity system.
Under the new law, NIN is now the cornerstone for all identity verification and authentication across both the public and private sectors.
NIMC data is now mandatory for a Nigerian passport, and NIN is expected to be required for more services going forward.
The Act designates NIMC as the Root Certification Authority for Nigeria’s Public Key Infrastructure, PKI, and Digital Public Infrastructure, DPI.
NIMC will now oversee digital signatures, secure transactions, and verified identities for Nigeria’s digital economy.
The Act is fully aligned with the Nigeria Data Protection Act, NDPA.
Your data cannot be accessed without your consent.
It cannot be used for any purpose other than the one you gave it for.
Any access must go through proper legal channels.
The Act introduces stricter penalties for identity-related offences, including a reported five-year jail term for violations.
NIMC is now integrated with immigration, Interpol, and other government databases on a 24/7 basis. This integration supported the arrest of 7 suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP commanders at Katsina Airport.
The Act is designed to provide wider, easier, and more convenient access to identity services, including for Nigerians in the Diaspora.
Nigeria is moving from fragmented ID systems to one trusted, digital NIN-based system to strengthen security, reduce fraud, and enable digital services.
