President Bola Tinubu has signed into law the repealed and re-enacted National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act, 2026, marking a significant step in the government’s drive to strengthen Nigeria’s digital identity infrastructure and national security framework.
The signing ceremony, held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, was attended by Senate President Godswill Akpabio alongside other senior government officials.
The newly amended legislation grants the National Identity Management Commission expanded powers to harmonise identity records, synchronise government databases, and improve interoperability across public institutions to enhance service delivery, data management and security coordination.
Speaking to journalists after the ceremony, Senate President Akpabio said the integration of the NIMC database with the Ministry of Interior’s digital platforms had already yielded tangible security gains.
According to him, the upgraded system recently enabled security agencies to identify and apprehend suspected terrorist operatives immediately after they arrived 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 simply entered their names into the system, which immediately flagged them as wanted criminals, and they were arrested,” Akpabio said.
The government says the new law is expected to bolster national security, improve identity verification, curb fraud, and accelerate the digital integration of government institutions across the country.
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