NIGERIA: Tinubu Launches NINAuth App, Pledges Credible National Identity System

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria

President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to establishing a credible, secure, and verifiable national identity management system as a key driver of Nigeria’s development goals.

Speaking on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, during the official launch of the NINAuth App, a digital mobile identity authentication application developed by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), the President said the initiative marks a major milestone in Nigeria’s journey towards digital transformation.

Tinubu said the federal government is determined to leverage technology to enhance efficiency, transparency, and accountability in governance. He disclosed that all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) will soon adopt the app for staff and data verification.

“Today’s official launch of the NIMC NINAuth App heralds a remarkable day in our nation’s digital public infrastructure journey as Africa’s largest identity database,” the President said. “This innovation marks yet another milestone in our collective pursuit of a digitally empowered Nigeria.”

According to him, the application will align Nigeria with technologically advanced nations by enabling seamless, secure, and inclusive access to essential services while upholding the highest standards of data protection and national security.

“A credible and inclusive National Identity Management System is fundamental to our national development goals,” Tinubu said. “It supports financial inclusion, strengthens social welfare delivery, enhances our security architecture, and ensures accurate population data for evidence-based planning.”

He explained that the unified National Identity Database would facilitate the delivery of social programmes, improve electoral integrity, expand healthcare access, and promote equitable distribution of national resources. Tinubu urged citizens to embrace the new app and commended NIMC for transforming identity management from a bureaucratic process into a modern, technology-driven system.

“My fellow Nigerians, the future we seek is one where technology empowers every citizen and where trust in governance is built on efficiency, transparency, and inclusiveness,” he stated. “Let us protect this innovation and ensure it connects our people, institutions, and aspirations for a more prosperous nation.”

Also speaking, Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, underscored the importance of a secure national identity to governance and national security, commending the President for adopting a technology-driven approach.

“Every nation that desires to be efficient must first build systems that can identify, authenticate, and secure its citizens. Identity is not just an administrative requirement; it is the backbone of governance, national security, and service delivery,” the Minister said.

In her remarks, the Director General of NIMC, Engr. (Dr.) Abisoye Coker-Odusote, explained that the NINAuth App will eliminate multiple data ownership, ensure real-time verification, and support businesses and institutions in accessing reliable identity credentials.

“It is important that every business or enterprise, small, medium, or large, can have access to verifiable identity credentials of every citizen in Nigeria,” she said.

Coker-Odusote revealed that NIMC has enrolled over 126.7 million individuals, with 25 million registrations recorded in the last two years, and an average of 1.3 million verification hits daily.

The event underscored the Tinubu administration’s commitment to digital governance, with the NINAuth App expected to strengthen data security, streamline public service delivery, and enhance citizens’ access to government programmes.