The Federal Government is targeting 95 per cent National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment coverage by December 2026, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said.
Tinubu disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during the 8th National Identity Day celebration. He was represented at the event by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The President said the government was developing the digital infrastructure needed to leverage Nigeria’s identity system as a driver of economic growth.
He said the theme of the celebration highlighted the need to connect the country’s digital ecosystem with its digital economy and broader economic development.
“Nigeria’s digital ecosystem must power Nigeria’s digital economy and Nigeria’s digital economy must help power Africa’s economy. Our identity infrastructure will be a critical component of this ambition,” he said.
Tinubu said the government was working towards an ecosystem where trusted digital identity would support digital commerce, financial services, social protection, healthcare, education and mobility.
He also disclosed that the Federal Government was accelerating the development of a Sovereign Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) as a trust layer within its broader Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) architecture.
According to him, the initiative would strengthen the foundations for secure digital signatures, trusted electronic documents, encrypted transactions and secure government communications.
He said the infrastructure would enable businesses to conduct digital transactions with greater confidence while allowing government documents to be authenticated without cumbersome physical processes.
Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to developing a robust DPI to improve access to public services, describing the initiative as critical to sectors including healthcare, education and financial inclusion.
The President commended the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Dr Abisoye Coker-Odusote, for her leadership of the commission.
Identity Key to Growth, Security — Tunji-Ojo
In his goodwill message, Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said effective identity management was central to economic growth, national security and social inclusion.
Tunji-Ojo said President Tinubu’s assent to the NIMC Act 2026 had provided what he described as a stronger legal foundation for digital identity management and the development of Nigeria’s digital economy.
