…describing it as a digital trust network
From David Onuoja, Abuja
The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, said the newly signed National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Act 2026, has laid the foundation for a new electoral system in Nigeria, which was built on verified identity, reduced duplication and stronger data integrity ahead of the 2027 general election.
Amupitan stated this Wednesday, when the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, and the management team paid a courtesy visit to INEC Headquarters, Abuja.
INEC Chairman receiving the delegation, described NIMC’s visit as a historic moment, saying, the passage of the NIMC Act, nearly two decades is something to reckon on. Adding that, the visit marked the christening of NIMC’s transformation from a registration body into what he called a sovereign digital authority with reach across the economy, commerce, land administration, and Nigeria’s electoral ecosystem.
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He said with this, the issue of identity-related challenges that have long confronted the Commission, such as voter identity which can easily be stolen, impersonated, and duplicated will be a thing of the past. He expressed confidence that the new legal framework, and the technology behind it would make such infractions far easier to detect and address.
INEC Boss added that, with NIMC’s database now covering more than 136 million enrolled Nigerians, deeper cross-platform integration between the two commissions would allow for continuous auditing, verification and elimination of duplicate or underage entries on the voter register.
Saying, INEC’s newly introduced online voter registration platform is deliberately anchored on the National Identification Number (NIN), as a verification protocol, describing it as a critical step toward a more seamless Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) process pursuant to Section 18 of the Electoral Act. In this, INEC has made provision for citizens whose Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have been defaced, destroyed or rendered illegible to obtain replacements, including printable PVCs for cases reported at least 90 days before an election, to ensure that no eligible voter is disenfranchised.
The INEC Chairman also flagged the emerging role of artificial intelligence in electoral operations, describing the technology as powerful but requiring deliberate control and protocols to safeguard the efficiency and credibility of data systems, a concern he said would form part of continued collaboration between the two commissions.
He Commended NIMC leadership for what he described as the “ruggedness” and effort behind the passage of the Act, adding that technical teams from both commissions have already begun engaging on the identified areas of collaboration, especially working faster and maximizing the outcomes ahead of the 2027 polls. He described the partnership as a “digital trust network” capable of reinforcing confidence not only in Nigeria’s identity ecosystem but also in the work of the Electoral Commission.
Earlier in her remarks, the NIMC Director-General, Engr. Coker-Odusote, informed INEC leadership that the NIMC Act 2026 was signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on 26 June 2026, following nearly two decades of legislative reform. She explained that the new Act repositions NIMC as the root authority for Nigeria’s Public Key Infrastructure, describing this as the bedrock of digital trust, and formally the home of the country’s digital public infrastructure.
Explaining this, she was optimistic that identity remains the foundation of effective governance and credible election planning, pledging NIMC’s full support to INEC in delivering a fair and transparent 2027 General Election.
A member of the NIMC delegation, Director of the Strategic Program Office, Dr. Alvan Ikoku, explained in details some of the functions and powers conferred on NIMC under the new Act.
