Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Independent National Electoral Commission and the National Identity Management Commission have pledged to deepen their collaboration on digital identity management and voter verification, a move expected to significantly strengthen the credibility of Nigeria's electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections. INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, made the commitment on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, while receiving the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NIMC, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, and her management team during a courtesy visit to the Commission's headquarters in Abuja. The partnership, anchored on the newly enacted National Identity Management Commission Act, 2026, marks a historic shift in Nigeria's approach to identity governance and electoral integrity.
Amupitan described the new NIMC Act, signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on June 26, 2026, as a landmark achievement that expands NIMC's role beyond identity registration into a sovereign digital authority capable of transforming governance, commerce, land administration, and other critical sectors. “As we move from the era of technology into the era of artificial intelligence, it is imperative that we work together to establish the necessary safeguards and protocols to ensure the integrity, security and credibility of our data systems,” Amupitan said. He noted that INEC's newly introduced online Continuous Voter Registration platform already requires prospective voters to provide their National Identification Number for identity verification, adding that closer integration between both agencies would further simplify voter registration while enhancing the credibility of the electoral process. The INEC chairman expressed optimism that the partnership would strengthen Nigeria's digital governance architecture and further enhance public confidence in future elections.
Engr. Coker-Odusote, who briefed the electoral commission on the far-reaching provisions of the new legislation, described the Act as a landmark reform that transforms NIMC from a custodian of identity records into Nigeria's foundational digital authority. According to her, the legislation elevates NIMC from being merely a custodian of Nigeria's identity database to the nation's foundational digital identity authority, making it the home of Nigeria's Digital Public Infrastructure and Root Public Key Infrastructure, which provides the digital trust framework for secure transactions and governance. “The Act has been a long time coming. For almost two decades, it underwent several reforms before it was finally assented to on June 26, 2026. It has now strengthened NIMC as an institution and firmly established the National Identification Number as Nigeria's foundational identity,” she said.
The NIMC Director-General emphasised that the reforms would strengthen Nigeria's digital economy, reduce identity-related fraud, simplify access to government and private sector services, and improve electoral integrity through stronger identity verification systems. “NIMC is ready to support INEC in delivering free, fair and transparent elections because identity remains the foundation of effective governance and credible electoral processes,” she stated. Dr. Alba Nkoku, NIMC's Director of Strategy and Programme Office, added that the new Act repositions the Commission from a traditional identity registration agency to Nigeria's national digital trust anchor, establishing the legal framework for digital public infrastructure and strengthening Nigeria's digital sovereignty.
The partnership comes amid continued efforts by the Federal Government to deepen digital governance and modernise public institutions through integrated identity management systems. Officials expressed confidence that stronger collaboration between NIMC and INEC would enhance transparency, improve service delivery, and reinforce confidence in Nigeria's democratic process. One of the most immediate benefits of the collaboration will be the elimination of duplicate voter records. Amupitan disclosed that INEC sees enormous opportunities for collaboration with NIMC, particularly in voter registration, data verification, and the elimination of duplicate records. The INEC chairman described the new NIMC Act as landmark legislation that transforms the identity management agency from a registration body into a sovereign digital identity authority capable of supporting governance, commerce, land administration, and other critical sectors.
The strengthened partnership represents a major step towards building a more secure and transparent electoral system, leveraging NIMC's biometric database to continuously audit, cleanse, and eliminate duplicate and underage registrations from the voters' register. This collaboration will also simplify continuous voter registration by allowing eligible Nigerians to use their NIN for seamless verification. As Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections, the digital alliance between INEC and NIMC signals a determined effort to address long-standing challenges of voter fraud, duplicate registrations, and identity theft that have undermined public confidence in the electoral process. With the NIN now mandatory for voter registration and the new NIMC Act providing a robust legal framework for digital identity governance, the two agencies are positioning Nigeria's electoral system for a more credible and transparent future.
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