The National Identity Management Commission has assumed responsibility as Nigeria’s designated certification authority for electronic signatures, a role Director General Abisoye Coker Odusote says will strengthen digital transaction security and deepen the federal government’s digital transformation agenda.
Coker Odusote said recent legislation expanded NIMC’s mandate beyond identity management into digital trust services and authentication, giving the commission legal and technical authority over trusted electronic signatures, a role expected to reduce identity fraud, strengthen cybersecurity and build confidence in digital transactions across both public and private sectors. She described digital identity as the backbone of digital governance, warning that countries lacking robust digital public infrastructure will keep facing inefficiencies in public service delivery, financial vulnerabilities and digital exclusion, arguing that a trusted digital identity ecosystem strengthens social intervention programmes, improves service delivery, boosts investor confidence and helps security agencies tackle cybercrime and financial crime. She called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, financial institutions, telecommunications operators and the private sector, arguing public trust will ultimately determine the success of Nigeria’s digital economy.
Speaking at the same summit, Information Technology Association of Nigeria President Lare Emmanuel Ayoola said wider deployment of digital technology across government ministries, departments and agencies could drastically cut the time needed to process government services while improving efficiency and transparency.
