NIMC take up management of e-signatures in Nigeria Under New Act The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has officially taken up responsibility for the regulation and management of electronic signatures in Nigeria under the newly enacted National Identity Management Commission Act, 2026 to further improve digital security, reduce identity fraud and boost the confidence in online transactions.
As detailed by the Commission, the expanded mandate now places NIMC at the heart of Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem where it will regulate the issuance, authentication and management of e-signatures used across all government services, transactions with financial institutions and digital platforms offered by the private sector.
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The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, said this is expected to boost the integrity of digital transactions with a secure and verifiable basis for authenticating digital identities.
“Integrating electronic signatures within the national digital identity infrastructure will help deter identity theft, document falsification, and other cyber-enabled fraud,” she noted.
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The Commission noted further that e-signatures are also crucial in underpinning e-government initiatives, digital contracts, online banking and e-commerce, digital healthcare records and several other digital transactions requiring legally sound identity verification.
NIMC further emphasized that this reform helps align Nigeria’s digital identity infrastructure with international best practices, as well as supports the federal government’s overarching vision to expedite digital transformation, foster greater financial inclusion, and promote a safer and more robust digital economy.
NIMC affirmed that it will work closely with all stakeholders, including government bodies, financial organizations, and tech vendors, to craft clear operational guidelines and ensure smooth implementation of this new structure.
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This electronic signature assignment is the first component of the broader overhaul enacted by the National Identity Management Commission Act, 2026, the primary goals of which are to enhance data protection measures, reinforce identity verification, and broaden the application of the National Identification Number (NIN) across both government and private sector services.
