Digital rights experts have called for greater openness in rolling out Nigeria’s National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026, stressing that citizens’ personal data protection must remain central to the country’s digital identity system.
The appeal was made during an X Space hosted by the Foundation for Digital Justice on 29 July. Titled “Strengthening Protection of Citizens’ Personal Data and Advancing Big Tech Accountability,” the session drew 163 participants. Speakers included Nonso Anyasi, a lawyer and doctoral researcher at the Open Universiteit in the Netherlands, and Kehinde Adegboyega, Executive Director of the Human Rights Journalists Network Nigeria.
Anyasi rejected suggestions that the new law scraps existing forms of identification. He said its main aim is to tighten safeguards around personal information, noting that nearly every aspect of a Nigerian’s identity is now tied to the National Identity Number. He highlighted the introduction of penalties for identity theft, cyber-related offences and official corruption within NIMC as key advances.
Adegboyega criticised the process that led to the law’s passage. He argued that civil society groups and other stakeholders were largely excluded from meaningful consultation, raising democratic concerns. Although President Bola Tinubu signed the bill in June 2026, the gazetted version had still not been made public at the time of the discussion. Adegboyega also cautioned that the push for digital innovation must not erode privacy and other fundamental rights.
Both speakers agreed that the Act holds potential to reinforce Nigeria’s digital identity framework, provided its implementation prioritises transparency, accountability and respect for citizens’ privacy.
Festus Ogun, Senior Legal Adviser at the Foundation for Digital Justice, described the X Space as part of the organisation’s ongoing work to promote informed public debate on digital rights and responsible technology governance.
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