NIMC Ready to Support INEC in Delivering Free, Fair Elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is reinforcing its collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), particularly following the enactment of the National Identity Management Commission Act, 2026. This partnership is viewed as a crucial step toward enhancing electoral integrity through secure digital identity verification.

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Closer cooperation between the two agencies would improve identity verification processes, reduce electoral fraud and support the conduct of free, fair and transparent elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, highlighted the significance of this collaboration during a meeting with NIMC's Director-General, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote. Amupitan stated, "Closer cooperation between the two agencies would improve identity verification processes, reduce electoral fraud and support the conduct of free, fair and transparent elections." This move aligns with Nigeria's increasing use of technology, such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Result Viewing Portal, to bolster election credibility.

Engr. Coker-Odusote explained that the new NIMC Act, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu on June 26, 2026, represents a transformative reform of the nation's identity management system. "The new law elevates NIMC from being merely a custodian of Nigeria’s identity database to the nation’s foundational digital identity authority, making it 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 said.

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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.

These reforms are expected to strengthen Nigeria's digital economy, reduce fraud, simplify access to public and private services, and ultimately improve the integrity of the country's electoral process through more robust identity verification. The collaboration between INEC and NIMC underscores a commitment to building a more secure and transparent electoral system.

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The new law elevates NIMC from being merely a custodian of Nigeria’s identity database to the nation’s foundational digital identity authority, making it 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.