Identity Nigeria consolidates digital identity under NIMC with new law July 22, 2026 Share By SC Staff Adobe Stock Nigeria is consolidating its digital identity system under the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) as it operationalizes its legal framework. NIMC is now responsible for the country’s public key infrastructure (PKI), taking over from the National Information Technology Development Agency, as more digital services become available to Nigerians through identity verification using biometric National Identity Numbers (NINs), with further coverage provided by Biometric Update. The NIMC Act, 2026, signed into law in June, expands the legal recognition of NINs across various government interactions including taxation, banking, pensions, healthcare, voting, and business registration. This act also places NIMC under Nigeria’s Data Protection Act, ensuring data access is restricted to entities with a legal mandate or consent, with significantly increased fines and jail penalties for illegal access. NIMC officially assumed the role of National Root Certification Authority (RCA), a key component of the national PKI, mandated by the new act. This consolidation aims to reduce duplication of functions and enhance national security by improving identity management. The government plans to boost NIN issuance from 136 million to 180 million by the end of the year. The V-Pass system for domestic air travel, which uses NIN and facial biometrics for security checks and boarding, is an example of the digital identity applications being enabled. Furthermore, the integration of NINs into the healthcare sector is expected to support universal health coverage goals by 2030, improving patient identification and continuity of care. Source: Biometric Update SC Staff Related Identity SharePoint vulnerability steals machine keys; fourth recent exploit Steve Zurier July 22, 2026 New SharePoint flaw exploited as attackers steal machine keys for lasting access. Identity Chick-fil-A accounts compromised in credential stuffing attacks SC Staff July 22, 2026 Chick-fil-A detected suspicious login activity on its website and mobile app between June 17 and June 19, 2026. Identity Argon2id password hashing neutralizes GPU advantage in cracking attempts SC Staff July 21, 2026 A study by Specops researcher David Ketler examined Argon2id's performance against current password-cracking hardware, specifically testing an eight-GPU system with Nvidia RTX 5090 cards and a single AMD EPYC 9B14 server processor. Related Events Cybercast The identity evolution that enables AI confidence Tue Aug 11 Cybercast IAM for MSSPs: Real-World Deployments On-Demand Event Cybercast Privilege risk is in the lifecycle: A CISO discussion on modernizing identity control On-Demand Event Get daily email updates SC Media's daily must-read of the most current and pressing daily news Business Email By clicking the Subscribe button below, you agree to SC Media Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Subscribe Related Terms Basic Authentication Biometrics Certificate-Based Authentication Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP) Digest Authentication Digital Certificate Discretionary Access Control (DAC) You can skip this ad in 5 seconds