The Independent National Electoral Commission has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening institutional collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission following the enactment of the National Identity Management Commission Act, 2026, in a move aimed at enhancing the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process through secure digital identity verification.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), made the commitment on Wednesday while receiving the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NIMC, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, and members of her management team during a courtesy visit to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
A statement issued by INEC said the meeting focused on leveraging the country’s evolving digital identity infrastructure to improve voter verification, curb electoral fraud and reinforce confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process.
Amupitan described the renewed partnership as a critical step towards delivering more transparent, credible and technology-driven elections.
He said stronger collaboration between the two agencies would enhance identity verification, eliminate loopholes exploited during elections and support the conduct of free, fair and credible polls.
According to him, seamless integration between Nigeria’s electoral and identity management systems would further strengthen the integrity of future elections.
Speaking during the visit, Coker-Odusote described the newly enacted NIMC Act, signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on June 26, 2026, as a transformative legal framework that repositions the Commission as Nigeria’s foundational digital identity authority.
She explained that the legislation elevates NIMC beyond its traditional role as custodian of the national identity database, making it the nation’s hub for Digital Public Infrastructure and Root Public Key Infrastructure, the backbone of secure digital authentication and trusted electronic transactions.
The NIMC boss said the reforms would deepen digital governance, reduce identity-related fraud, simplify access to government and private sector services and provide a more reliable identity verification framework for electoral management.
She assured INEC of the Commission’s readiness to support the conduct of free, fair and transparent elections, stressing that a credible identity management system remains fundamental to effective governance and democratic accountability.
The renewed collaboration comes as the Federal Government continues to accelerate digital governance reforms, with both agencies expressing optimism that stronger integration of identity management and electoral systems will enhance transparency, improve service delivery and strengthen public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.