NIMC enrolls over 136 million Nigerians as new digital identity law takes effect

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced that more than 136 million Nigerians and legal residents have been enrolled in the National Identity Database, as the Federal Government begins implementing a new legal framework aimed at strengthening the country’s digital identity system.

The commission disclosed this in a joint statement issued on Tuesday by its Head of Corporate Communications, Dr. Kayode Adegoke, following a strategic meeting between NIMC and the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.

According to the statement, the milestone coincides with the implementation of the NIMC Act 2026, which repeals the 2007 Act and introduces a “One Person, One Identity” framework to improve identity management and public service delivery.

Under the new law, the National Identification Number (NIN) will serve as the primary means of identification for citizens and legal residents, while NIMC’s responsibilities have been expanded to include oversight of Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem, identity verification, and data protection standards.

Speaking on the development, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NIMC, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, said the commission would work closely with the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning to ensure that identity data supports national development.

“We have successfully enrolled more than 136 million Nigerians and legal residents into the National Identity Database. We will continue collaborating with the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning to leverage the National Identification Number for targeted economic planning, social intervention programmes and other national development initiatives,” she said.

The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, described the new legislation as a significant step toward improving governance and public service delivery.

According to the minister, a comprehensive and reliable national identity database will help government agencies improve planning, eliminate duplication in social intervention programmes, strengthen financial inclusion, and enhance the efficiency of public services.

As part of efforts to support the expanded mandate, NIMC said it has trained more than 4,600 staff members, including personnel at its headquarters and registration centres nationwide, on modern digital identity management and service delivery.

The commission also disclosed that Lagos State currently has the highest number of registered residents with over 13.1 million enrolments, followed by Kano State with more than 11.5 million, while Kaduna State ranks third with over 7.3 million registrations.

NIMC said it remains committed to expanding enrolment across the country through mobile registration units and community-based registration campaigns, with the goal of ensuring that every Nigerian and legal resident is captured in the National Identity Database.

The nationwide enrolment drive is being supported by development partners, including the World Bank, the French Development Agency (AFD) and the European Investment Bank (EIB), as part of efforts to achieve universal digital identity coverage in Nigeria.