Tinubu’s digital identity reforms ‘unrivalled’, says Shettima

Vice-President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday praised the President Bola Tinubu administration’s overhaul of Nigeria’s digital identity system, describing the ongoing reforms led by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) as “unrivalled”.

Shettima made the remarks during a courtesy visit by a NIMC delegation to the Presidential Villa, led by the commission’s Director-General, Abisoye Odusote, according to a statement by his media aide, Stanley Nkwocha. He credited the momentum to recent policy changes, notably the signing into law of the NIMC Act 2026.

“The reorganisation will enable the establishment of a sovereign Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for Nigeria,” he said, adding that the reforms will accelerate the shift from paper-based administration to secure digital governance built on robust trust architectures.

Shettima singled out Odusote’s leadership for transforming NIMC “from a database custodian to Nigeria’s foundational digital authority” in a short period, calling the achievement “unprecedented, rare and worthy of commendation”. He urged NIMC staff to support the Director-General and embrace more technology-driven models to advance key components of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The Vice-President said the administration is taking “bold steps and making courageous decisions” across sectors that will positively affect education, healthcare delivery, financial inclusion and digital governance.

In her remarks, Odusote congratulated President Tinubu on signing the NIMC Bill into law and described the Act as a turning point for Nigeria’s identity ecosystem. She said the new law would make it possible for government databases to communicate and would enable citizens to interact with government services more efficiently.

Highlighting progress, Odusote said the Nigerian Immigration Service now uses the National Identification Number (NIN) for passport issuance and renewal. She also said the NIN has become “the single source of truth for Nigerian identity” and that a growing number of insurance companies, financial institutions and public agencies have been integrated into the emerging national Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).

The NIMC Act 2026 replaces the restrictive 2007 framework and was enacted to transition Nigeria’s identity framework into a sovereign Digital Public Infrastructure. According to the State House statement, the law aims to secure national control over digital trust infrastructure and reduce reliance on foreign systems.