INEC to use NIMC database to cleanse voters’ register

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will use the newly enacted National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026 to strengthen the voters’ register in Nigeria, curb identity-related electoral fraud and improve the credibility of elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, stated this on Wednesday in Abuja while receiving the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr Abisoye Coker-Odusote, who briefed the commission on the provisions of the new law recently signed by President Bola Tinubu.

Amupitan said the legislation marks a major milestone in Nigeria’s digital identity system and would help tackle challenges such as duplicate registrations, impersonation and identity theft, which have continued to threaten the integrity of elections.

He said the commission would leverage NIMC’s database of over 136 million National Identification Numbers (NINs) to continuously audit and cleanse the national voter register.

“This collaboration will also simplify continuous voter registration by allowing eligible Nigerians to use their NIN for seamless verification,” he said.

The INEC chairman noted that the commission had already introduced online voter registration with the National Identification Number as a key authentication requirement and pledged to deepen technical collaboration with NIMC to enhance electoral credibility.

He added that advances in artificial intelligence have made it imperative for both institutions to strengthen identity management, cybersecurity and digital trust systems.

Earlier, Coker-Odusote said the National Identity Management Commission Act 2026 had transformed NIMC from a custodian of identity records into Nigeria’s foundational digital identity authority.

She said the law, which was assented to by President Tinubu on June 26, 2026, establishes the National Identification Number (NIN) as the country’s foundational identity and designates NIMC as the home of Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and Root Certification Authority for Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).

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