CivicNational Identity Management Commission (Establishment) Act, 2026
- Status
- In force
- Signed
- 26 June 2026
- In force from
- 26 June 2026
- Gazetted
- 30 July 2026
Draft. This explainer is still under review and has not been approved for publication. The source PDF is linked above.
In plain English
The NIMC Act 2026 replaces the 2007 law behind the National Identification Number (NIN). Every citizen and resident is entitled to a NIN, including people with no fixed address or no documents, who can be identified by a relative. Your NIN is required for passports, voter cards, bank accounts, SIM registration, land, loans, insurance and taxes. Access to your data needs your consent or a legal reason, and hacking or leaking the database carries at least ₦10 million or five years in prison.
Why it matters
Almost every official or financial step in Nigeria now runs through your NIN. This Act sets the rules for what goes into the identity database, who can see it, and what happens to people who abuse it. Existing NINs remain valid: everything done under the 2007 Act carries over.
Who it affects
- Everyone
- You are entitled to a NIN, and you will need it for passports, voter cards, bank accounts, SIM cards, land, loans, insurance, pensions and taxes. You must tell NIMC about changes to your details and report a lost or stolen ID.
- Small businesses
- If you provide any of the services that require a NIN, you must verify your customers' identity with it. You may only use NIN data for the purpose it was given, unless the person consents or the law allows.
- Startups
- Fintechs, telcos and others doing identity checks must verify with the NIN, can be licensed as NIMC verification agents, and face heavy penalties for accessing or sharing database records without authorisation.
What it unlocks
7 things this law lets you do
- Your right ss. 17 and 18(1), (3)
Everyone is entitled to a NIN
Every citizen and resident of Nigeria is entitled to a National Identification Number by enrolling. NIMC must take special measures to enrol people with no permanent place of residence.
- Who qualifies
- Every citizen and resident of Nigeria.
- How to use it
- Enrol at an enrolling agency with your personal details, biometrics and a government-issued ID.
- Your right s. 18(4)–(5)
No documents? A relative can vouch for you
If you cannot produce a government-issued ID, NIMC can let a registered adult relative identify you under oath. Where you have no known relatives, regulations will set out who else can identify you.
- Who qualifies
- People without government-issued identification.
- How to use it
- Bring a registered relative of legal age to enrolment.
- Your right s. 18(8)
Told how your data will be used, and who gets it
When you enrol, NIMC must tell you how your information will be used, who it may be shared with, and how you can request access to it.
- Who qualifies
- Everyone enrolling.
- How to use it
- Ask for this information at enrolment if it is not given.
- Protection s. 24
Your data needs your consent, or a legal reason
NIMC must follow the Nigeria Data Protection Act. No one may access your records unless you have consented, or it is necessary for a legal obligation, a public task, preventing or prosecuting a crime, or court proceedings. Anyone given your data for one purpose may not use it for another without your consent or a legal basis.
- Who qualifies
- Every registered person.
- How to use it
- If a business uses your NIN data for something else, you can object and complain.
- Your right s. 25(2)–(3)
See who has verified your identity
Every registered person is entitled to obtain their authentication records. NIMC may not keep information about the purpose of an authentication.
- Who qualifies
- Every registered person.
- How to use it
- Watch for the regulations that set out how to request your records.
- Protection ss. 18(10) and 26(2)–(3)
A NIN is proof of identity, not of citizenship
Your NIN must be accepted as proof of identity for any purpose. It is not conclusive proof of citizenship, and it does not by itself prove you are eligible for a benefit or service.
- Who qualifies
- Every NIN holder.
- How to use it
- Use your NIN to prove who you are; eligibility for a service is decided by that service's own rules.
- Protection s. 31
Illegal fees are an offence
Charging a fee NIMC has not prescribed, or charging more than the prescribed fee, is an offence punishable by a fine of at least ₦500,000 or at least a year in prison, and dismissal for a NIMC officer.
- Who qualifies
- Protects everyone enrolling or updating their details.
- How to use it
- Ask for the official fee, and report anyone who charges more.
What it asks of you
4 responsibilities explained from this Act
Explore all rules →Open a row for the conditions, timing and source section.
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✓ Give your NIN for official and money services When you use them Not summarised
You must present your NIN to get a passport or voter's card, join a government programme or subsidy, open a bank account, make financial transactions, buy insurance, register a SIM, buy or register land, take consumer credit, deal with pensions and health insurance, and pay taxes. Whoever provides the service must verify your identity with it.
- When
- Whenever you use or provide one of the listed services
- Possible consequence
- No penalty is summarised here; this does not establish that none applies.
- Source
- s. 26(1) and (4)
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✓ Update your NIN details and report a lost ID When it happens Not summarised
You must tell NIMC about changes to your recorded information and any errors you know of, and notify it if your identity credential is lost, stolen, damaged, tampered with or destroyed.
- When
- When your details change or your ID is lost, stolen or damaged
- Possible consequence
- No penalty is summarised here; this does not establish that none applies.
- Source
- ss. 21 and 22
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✕ Register twice, use another's NIN or lie to NIMC Never Prison ₦10m or 5 yrs, minimum
Registering more than once, using a NIN issued to someone else, or forging a NIN or identity credential is an offence. So is knowingly or recklessly giving NIMC false information.
- Possible consequence
- Multiple registration, using another person's NIN or forging one: a fine of at least ₦10 million or at least five years in prison (at least ₦20 million for a company). False information: at least ₦2 million or at least two years. ss. 28 and 29(1)
- Source
- ss. 28 and 29(1)
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✕ Access, leak or misuse NIN data Never Prison ₦10m or 5 yrs, minimum
Without NIMC's authorisation, it is an offence to access the database, download or copy data from it, reveal, share, use or display its information, or tamper with it. Information you receive for one purpose must not be used for another without the person's consent or a legal basis.
- Possible consequence
- A fine of at least ₦10 million or at least five years in prison. A company pays at least ₦20 million, and each of its principal officers faces at least ₦10 million or five years. s. 27(2)
- Source
- ss. 24(6)–(7) and 27(1)
Timeline
- Update
President Tinubu withheld assent to an earlier version under section 58(4) of the Constitution, citing drafting errors and legal inconsistencies. His letter was read in the House of Representatives, as reported by BarristerNG.
- Update
The reworked bill was certified by the Clerk to the National Assembly as passed by both Houses.
- Signed into law
Signed into law by President Tinubu. The Act gives this as its commencement date.
- Published in the Gazette
Published in the Official Gazette, No. 147, Vol. 113, as Act No. 3 of 2026.
This page explains the law in general terms and is not legal advice. If this page and the Act disagree, the Act wins. Tell us about a mistake.