E-Business
Experts Want NIMC Act Repealed, Multi-Dimensional ID Approach
Experts at the 2014 annual lecture of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) have called for a multi-dimensional approach and a review of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2007, to resolve Nigeria’s lingering identity management challenge.
The Act, the experts stated, promotes centralisation in place of multi-layered identity assurance scheme, in spite explanations by NIMC on its intentions to address the challenges of identity management in the country.
Centralisation, in their views, drawn from technology, banking, insurance and the academia, is the albatross of Nigeria’s dithering identity management programme.
Describing Nigeria’s failure at citizen identity assurance as frustrating, Chief Joseph Sanusi, former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), said “Establishing a national database and identifying the Nigerian has been on the front burner as far as 20 years ago. It is embarrassing that we have not reached that stage. All other countries have gotten it done.”
As keynote speaker at the annual lecture themed, “Identity Management: A catalyst for the new economic and financial service transformation”, Demola Aladekomo, managing director of Chams Plc and identity management pioneer, made a case for a multi-dimensional approach to identity management which is global best practise.
He said, “No system depends on a single point of failure such as single national database to meet all identity assurance needs. We need to cross reference several databases to be able to really ascertain who is who. No single database can do this. We need multiple databases which are integrated into the national database as obtains in other countries.”
Reacting to the keynote address, Chris Onyemena, director of NIMC, who was part the panel at the annual lecture, said, “It is provided in the constitution that biometric data is an exclusive legislative item. Only the Federal Government can do it. In this country, we know that some states went ahead to create their own laws to provide for residency cards.
“The federal government after years of limited success and failures established the National Identity Management Commission vested with the authority to keep biometric information of all Nigerians and the provision for legal residence, whether you are in the private sector or public sector. That is the position of the law.”
Affirming the benefits of multi-layered approach to identity management, Professor Ibidapo Obe, former Vice Chancellor of University of Lagos (UNILAG) urged Nigeria to take learning from the United States of America where there is a hierarchy of authority and systems in identity management to ensure that we resolve our teething national identity challenge.
Professor Obe recalled the State of Texas meeting his identity assurance needs including issuance of a driver’s license and identity card which would have been impossible if identity assurance was centralised in the United States.
He alluded to the state of disrepair of the Nigerian Railway Corporation because the same law states that nobody can run a railway except the federal government.
On her part, Mrs. Rosemary Oluwanisola, bank examiner at Nigeria Deposit Insurance Commission (NDIC), said “I agree that the issue of identity management is a constitutional issue because government should take responsibility for identifying Nigerians, but how long is it going to take government to get this done.
“First quarter of the year, we were mobilised by NDIC to be part of biometric capture for the national identity scheme, today we are still waiting for the outcome of that process. But today, I have my Bank Verification Number (BVN). Let us not confuse effort for results.”
In a similar vein, expressing disenchantment with the centralisation of biometric data for identity management, Bolaji Agbola, executive director, Cashcraft Asset Management Limited, said “NIMC should assume the regulatory role and free market for concessionaires to operate so that we can have the national identity card. For instance, in the last six months, I have been trying to procure driver’s license without success. We need to decentralise all of this, and empower the private sector to do it. If the NIMC law is defective let us change it.
The NIMC DG is looking at the issue from the legal point of view, we want it but two weeks we were locked up to make an identity card without a signature which is useless. India, they have registered about 70 per cent of their population. What other nations are doing let us benchmark them and make progress.”
At the close of 2025, Temidayo Ojo, the CEO of Jumia Nigeria, reflected on a year-end shopping season that points to the growing maturity of the country’s e-commerce market. “Black Friday is no longer a single, short-lived spike in activity,” he said.
“It has become a familiar, anticipated moment in the retail calendar, where consumers shop deliberately and with confidence.”
Preliminary KPIs for the two months ended November 30, 2025, show strong year-on-year growth in both orders and Gross Merchandise Value (GMV), with GMV growth outpacing order growth. This indicates that customers are placing fuller, more considered baskets rather than shopping in fragmented transactions. Nigeria ranked among Jumia Group’s better-performing markets, with engagement remaining steady throughout the Black Friday period rather than spiking briefly and tapering off.
A key factor behind this performance is the growing familiarity of consumers with online shopping. Customers are increasingly leveraging platform features such as saved carts, brand stores, and price comparison tools to plan purchases in advance. This trend suggests that digital commerce is becoming embedded in everyday habits rather than being viewed as a one-off event.
Ojo also highlighted the role of Jumia’s JForce network in connecting digital commerce to local communities. “Our agents are critical to ensuring that customers across Nigeria, including secondary cities and smaller communities, have access to variety, consistent pricing, and reliable delivery,” he said. “During peak periods like Black Friday, JForce agents can respond faster, serve more customers efficiently, and build stronger local relationships. This isn’t just a distribution channel—it’s a pathway to sustainable income and inclusion.”
Reflecting on the overall performance, the CEO concluded: “What we’re seeing this year-end is steady engagement across categories, stronger consumer confidence, and partners like our JForce agents benefiting from increased activity.
“It confirms that Nigeria’s e-commerce ecosystem is maturing, growing in a more structured and resilient way. As the December Holiday Sale continues, we expect these patterns of familiarity, trust, and participation to sustain momentum and drive both commerce and community impact across the country.”
Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) has been ranked first overall in the 2025 Federal Government Website Performance Scorecard.
This is a landmark achievement for Nigeria’s digital economy.
The ranking, conducted by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), is the definitive benchmark for digital excellence and transparency across all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
Professor Ibrahim Adepoju Adeyanju, managing director and CEO of Galaxy Backbone, received the award during a ceremony in Abuja.
He described the feat as a validation of the agency’s“Nigeria First”data sovereignty strategy and its relentless pursuit of service excellence.
This recognition comes as the Federal Government intensifies its push to achieve a fully paperless civil service by December 31, 2025.
GBB has been the primary architect of this transition through its 1Gov Enterprise Content Management (ECM) platform, which now hosts the operations of almost all federal MDAs.
The award adds to a growing list of accolades for Galaxy Backbone in 2025, following its recent win of the “International Standard Excellence Award for Best IT Service Provider.”
As the central hub for government shared services, GBB’s performance serves as a blueprint for other agencies currently undergoing digital transformation.
With its expanded fiber-optic backbone now covering over 13 states and its secure cloud solutions, Galaxy Backbone remains the cornerstone of Nigeria’s vision to become a leading digital nation by the end of the decade.
Okitipi Samuel, a Nigerian man, has been taken into custody by the Nigeria Police Force for his alleged role in a global cyberattack on Microsoft 365 users.
Benjamin Hundeyin, Force public relations officer, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja while briefing journalists on the outcome of investigations carried out by the National Cybercrime Centre of the Nigeria Police Force.
Hundeyin said the centre, under the leadership of Ifeanyi Uche, its director and Commissioner of Police, commenced investigations in collaboration with Microsoft, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Secret Service, and the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency.
According to him, investigations revealed that a phishing toolkit known as “Raccoon 0365” was used to create fake Microsoft login portals to harvest user credentials and unlawfully access email accounts belonging to corporate organisations, financial institutions, and educational institutions in several countries.
“This investigation commenced following credible intelligence received from Microsoft USA through the FBI, indicating that a malicious phishing toolkit known as Raccoon0365 was being used to create fake Microsoft login portals, harvest user credentials, and unlawfully access the email accounts of corporate organisations, financial institutions, and educational establishments,” Hundeyin said.
He added that between January and September 2025, several reports of unauthorised access to Microsoft 365 accounts were traced to phishing emails designed to mimic legitimate Microsoft login pages, enabling business email compromise, internal phishing, data breaches, and other cyber-enabled fraud.
Hundeyin said digital forensic analysis and cryptocurrency tracing identified wallets connected to the illegal operation.
He noted that operatives were deployed to Lagos and Edo states, leading to the arrest of three suspects identified as Joshua, James, and Okitipi Samuel between September 20 and October 4, 2025.
“Following extensive digital forensic and technical intelligence analysis, the centre conducted cryptocurrency tracing that identified suspicious wallets connected to cash-out schemes.
“Acting on actionable intelligence, operational teams were deployed to Lagos and Edo states, resulting in the arrest of Joshua, James, and Okitipi Samuel. Searches at their residences led to the recovery of mobile devices, laptops, and other digital exhibits linked to the fraudulent scheme,” he said.
Hundeyin identified Okitipi Samuel, also known as “0365” and Moses Felix as the principal suspect and developer of the phishing infrastructure.
He added that investigations confirmed Samuel unlawfully used the email details of one of the arrested individuals without consent to register some of the accounts used in the operation.
The police spokesperson said further investigations revealed that the identities of Joshua and James were used without their consent.
“There was no evidence linking them to the creation or operation of the phishing scheme. They were victims of identity theft,” Hundeyin said.
He said a prima facie case had been established against Samuel for identity theft, unlawful access to computer systems, creation and distribution of malicious software, unauthorised interference with network data, and aiding and abetting fraud.
Hundeyin added that the suspect would be charged under relevant provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2024.
He said the suspect would be prosecuted in Nigeria, noting that the country has the capacity to enforce its cybercrime laws, although extradition could be considered if formally requested through due process.
Hundeyin assured Nigerians that the police, under the leadership of Kayode Egbetokun, inspector-general of Police, would continue to protect the country’s digital ecosystem and urged citizens to practise good cyber hygiene by being cautious when clicking links and sharing personal information online.
Speaking separately, Ifeanyi Uche, director of the National Cybercrime Centre, urged Nigerians to exercise caution online.
Uche advised members of the public to avoid clicking on links from unknown or unexpected sources, noting that such links often contain malware or phishing tools designed to compromise devices and personal data.
He warned that indiscriminate clicking of links or responding to unsolicited emails could lead to unauthorised access to personal and corporate accounts, urging citizens to “wash their cyber hands” by verifying sources before taking action online.
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