By Lawrence Agbo
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has explained that Nigeria replaced the 2007 NIMC Act with a new legal framework to address emerging technological, cybersecurity and data protection challenges while strengthening the country’s digital identity system.
Speaking on the new legislation, the Coordinating Director of Operations, Uche Chigbo, said the former law had become outdated after nearly two decades of operation and no longer reflected the realities of Nigeria’s growing digital economy.
“There are a lot of provisions and changes with the new Act. The NIMC 2007 Act has been operating for close to 19 years now, so you can actually say it’s almost obsolete,” she said.
According to Chigbo, the new NIMC Act incorporates key reforms needed to support Nigeria’s identity management programme, including stronger data protection, expanded identity coverage and improved regulatory powers for the commission.
She said the law extends NIMC’s mandate to register everyone residing in Nigeria, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), children, orphans and Nigerians living abroad.
“The Act has expanded universal coverage so that NIMC can enrol everybody within the soil of Nigeria… and even Nigerians in the diaspora,” she stated.
Chigbo explained that the legislation also aligns with the Nigeria Data Protection Act and addresses evolving cybersecurity threats and technological advances.
She reiterated that the National Identification Number (NIN) remains Nigeria’s unique identifier and the only valid means of identification for accessing government services. At the same time, other agencies continue to issue functional identity cards linked to the NIN.
The NIMC official also disclosed that the commission has introduced an online self-service modification portal, allowing Nigerians to update or correct their personal information without visiting enrolment centres.
She added that while registration and issuance of the NIN remain free, other identity-related services attract approved fees payable electronically through the government’s Remita platform.
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