On the sidelines of the United Nations 81st General Assembly, a session on “The Digital Public Ecosystem: Identity, Trust, and Inclusive Access in the Digital Economy” was convened to highlight how Nigeria’s mandatory digital identity scheme served as the backbone for all interactions with both the public and private sectors.
As of June 2026, digital identity has been mandatory in Nigeria thanks to the passing of the NIMC Act.
NIMC stands for the National Identity Management Commission.
When the NIMC Act was passed, it mandated that a National Identification Number (NIN) be obligatory for every Nigerian wishing to access vast swaths of public and private services.
