The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), said it is accelerating efforts to build a unified digital identity framework aimed at improving public services and shoring up national security.
Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the NIMC Abisoye Coker Odusote, at a technology conference on “Building Africa’s Digital Foundations Together” Thursday said that the commission is pursuing institutional reforms, strategic partnerships and technical upgrades to make the National Identification Number — or NIN — central to authentication and access across government and private-sector platforms.
Represented at the event by Sulaiman Falade, head of Infrastructure Technology and Identity Databases, Ms. Odusote said a presidential directive issued on April 5, 2024, requires ministries, departments and agencies to use the NIN for data capture, identity checks and biometric verification.
“We have put structures in place to ensure effective implementation of that directive and to deepen the country’s digital identity ecosystem,” she said.
The NIMC chief described the effort as part of a broader federal push to create an interoperable, secure digital-public-infrastructure stack that would increase transparency, accountability and service efficiency for Nigerians.
She also highlighted the commission’s work to deploy a National Public Key Infrastructure, or nPKI, which she said would strengthen trust in online transactions and protect citizen data.
Industry stakeholders and private-sector partners, Ms. Odusote urged, will play a critical role in scaling the initiative and embedding digital identity into everyday services — from government benefits to financial access — as Nigeria seeks to expand its digital economy.
