The director-general of the National Identity Management Commission, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, says the newly enacted NIMC Act 2026 has significantly strengthened Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem.

Ms Odusote-Coker said that the Act had been done by enhancing data security and empowering the commission to combat identity-related crimes.

She said this during a courtesy visit to the Federal Ministry of Information and the National Orientation Agency, as part of the government’s efforts to sensitise public institutions on the provisions and benefits of the new Act.

She explained that the repealed NIMC Act lacked data protection powers, leading to the enactment of the 2023 Data Protection Act and the creation of the Nigerian Data Protection Commission.

According to her, the new NIMC Act empowers the commission, in collaboration with security agencies, to arrest and prosecute identity thieves.

Ms Odusote-Coker also disclosed that the commission had activated a ward enrolment programme to expand NIN registration to all wards nationwide.

She explained that the initiative aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and was designed to ensure inclusive identity coverage for all Nigerians.

Information minister Mohammed Idris commended the NIMC director-general for her leadership and the successful passage of the new legislation, reiterating the need for sustained public enlightenment on the provisions of the Act, particularly at the grassroots, and calling for stronger inter-agency collaboration to maximise its benefits.

The minister noted that transparency in public service delivery largely depended on the effective dissemination of information through credible communication channels.

(NAN)