The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, SAN, has reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, following the signing of the NIMC Act, 2026.
He described the law as a major step towards building a more secure and transparent electoral system.
Prof. Yakubu made the remarks 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 INEC headquarters in Abuja.
Speaking at the meeting, Engr. Coker-Odusote said the newly enacted NIMC Act, signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, on June 26, 2026, marks a historic transformation of the Commission after nearly two decades of reforms.
According to her, the new law elevates NIMC from being merely a custodian of Nigeria’s identity database to the nation’s foundational digital identity authority. It designates NIMC as the home of Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure, DPI, and Root Public Key Infrastructure, PKI, which provides the digital trust framework for secure transactions and governance.
She noted that the reforms would strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy, reduce fraud, simplify access to public and private services, and enhance 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 said.
INEC, NIMC Partner To Leverage Digital ID For Secure Elections



