The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) have reaffirmed commitment to strategic partnership aimed at accelerating digital identity inclusion for women, children and vulnerable groups, while strengthening service delivery, social protection, financial inclusion and the fight against identity fraud across Nigeria.
The commitment was made when the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. (Dr.) Abisoye Coker-Odusote and her team, paid a courtesy visit to the Honourable Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Fsi, at her office in Abuja.
Addressing the NIMC delegation, the Honourable Minister described the newly enacted identity management framework as a landmark reform that aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and complements ongoing reforms across all sectors of the economy.
She stressed that a trusted national identity system is indispensable to delivering effective social protection programmes, safeguarding digital commerce and ensuring that government interventions reach the intended beneficiaries.
The Minister noted that women constitute the largest segment of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria and increasingly rely on digital platforms for business transactions.
“Identity management plays a critical role in protecting women who do business online, ensuring fairness in digital transactions and strengthening confidence in Nigeria’s digital economy,” she said.
Speaking on the Federal Government’s Universal Child Grant initiative, the Minister emphasized that robust identity management would help eliminate abuse, improve transparency and ensure that every eligible Nigerian child benefits from the programme.
She also highlighted the successes of the Nigeria for Women Project Scale-Up, noting that the programme has expanded significantly across participating states through women-led self-help groups and collectives that promote savings, financial inclusion and economic empowerment.
According to her, strengthening identity registration for women remains fundamental to unlocking access to formal financing, government interventions and broader economic opportunities.
“Every woman deserves an identity that opens doors to opportunities, financial services and social protection. Our vision is to ensure that no woman or child is left behind,” the Minister stated.
Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim further commended NIMC’s drive toward establishing a single identity number throughout an individual’s life cycle, describing it as transformative for healthcare, education, social welfare and access to public services.
She also underscored the importance of integrated national data systems for evidence-based planning and budgeting, particularly for women, children and families, while advocating stronger collaboration in addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) through improved identity verification and criminal tracking mechanisms.
“Reliable identity systems and quality data will enable us to plan better, protect survivors more effectively and strengthen accountability in tackling gender-based violence across the country,” she added.
Earlier, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NIMC, Engr. (Dr.) Abisoye Coker-Odusote, disclosed that the Commission has evolved beyond being merely the custodian of Nigeria’s identity database to becoming the nation’s foundational identity authority and the backbone of Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure.
She explained that the new legal framework strengthens the Commission’s enforcement powers against identity fraud while enabling seamless digital services through interoperable government databases.
According to her, the Commission is driving the implementation of a “One Identity for All” initiative that will simplify citizens’ access to public services by eliminating repetitive data collection and enabling secure digital authentication.
“We are harmonising government databases so that every Nigerian can rely on one trusted identity for accessing services seamlessly, securely and efficiently,” she said.
The NIMC boss further revealed that the Commission has introduced digital credentials, electronic signatures, digital certificates and free electronic identity cards through its enhanced digital identity application, thereby expanding secure access to government interventions and digital services.
She disclosed that NIMC has also commenced ward-level enrolment nationwide under the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reach underserved communities and ensure inclusive identity registration.
“Our ambition is to ensure that every Nigerian woman is captured in the national identity database before the end of the year.
Achieving this requires strong collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development,” she stated.
Ahmed Lawan Danbazau Mnipr
Head, Press and Public Relations Dept. (FMWASD)
