Nigeria signs NIMC Act 2026

President Bola Tinubu signed the NIMC Act 2026 into law, repealing the 2007 Act and modernizing Nigeria's digital identity framework. The Act designates NIMC as the root certification authority for national Public Key Infrastructure and Digital Public Infrastructure, establishes the National Identification Number as the foundational identity under a 'one person, one identity' policy, and introduces stronger data protection, cybersecurity, and fraud penalties. NIMC has enrolled over 136 million Nigerians and legal residents, and has begun a ward-by-ward enrolment campaign to capture all Nigerians by end of 2026, supported by the World Bank Group's ID4D project. The Act also enables database integration with ministries, including the Nigeria — Ministry of Solid Minerals Development to combat illegal mining, and has been credited with aiding security operations, including the arrest of suspected terrorists. Officials including Vice President Kashim Shettima, Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, and ministers have praised the reforms as transformative for governance and economic development.