ABUJA, NIGERIA — The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has successfully registered at least 136 million citizens into the national identity database, marking a major milestone in the country’s biometric capture drive.

NIMC Director-General Abisoye Coker-Odusote announced the figures during a strategic visit to the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning. She noted that this achievement coincides with the implementation of the newly enacted NIMC Act 2026, which replaces the outdated 2007 law to comprehensively modernize the nation’s digital infrastructure.

According to Coker-Odusote, the updated legal framework solidifies the National Identity Number (NIN) as Nigeria’s core identifier under a strict “One person, One identity” mandate. The 2026 legislation also positions NIMC as the primary root certificate authority for national digital infrastructure, introducing enhanced statutory frameworks for cybersecurity, data privacy, and digital credentials.

The Director-General reiterated the government’s target to enroll all citizens and legal residents swiftly, offering to partner with the ministry to utilize NIN data for more precise national economic planning.

Welcoming the development, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, hailed the new legislation as a revolutionary step forward for national development. He urged inter-governmental agencies to collaborate closely to eliminate fragmented identity databases and boost public trust.

Bagudu emphasized that the NIN must become the sole, universally recognized standard for identification to streamline public service delivery and foster good governance, adding that the ultimate success of the landmark policy will depend on its seamless execution and real-world benefits for the public.