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FEC Approves Implementation of Strategic Roadmap for Digital Identity Ecosystem
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the immediate commencement of the implementation of a strategic roadmap for a new Digital Identity Ecosystem in Nigeria.
FEC at its meeting, held on Wednesday September 13, 2018 and chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, opened a new chapter in giving Nigeria a credible and robust identity management system with the approval of the new identity ecosystem strategy for the enrolment of Nigerians and legal residents into the National Identity Database (NIDB).
The FEC approval of the new Digital Identity Ecosystem will bring into full force the implementation of the provisions of the NIMC Act 23, 2007, which include the enforcement of the mandatory use of the National Identification Number (NIN) and the application of appropriate sanctions and penalties on defaulters as provided under Section 28 of the NIMC Act.
The new digital identity Ecosystem is a framework that leverages on the existing capabilities and infrastructure of distinct government agencies and private sector organisations to carry out enrolment of Citizens and Legal residents nationwide as well as issuance of Digital identity, known as the National Identity Number (NIN).
Speaking on the strategic roadmap for a new Digital Identity Ecosystem for Nigeria approved by the Federal Executive Council, Director-General of NIMC, Engr. Aliyu Abubakar Aziz, explained that the step falls in line with the Federal Government’s efforts to reposition the country as a leader in the global economy, which resulted in the launch of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) in April 2017.
A major outcome of the FEC’s approval of the strategic roadmap for the new digital identity ecosystem is the mandatory enforcement of the use of NIN, which NIMC has announced to come into full force on January 1, 2019.
According to Engr. Aziz, the ERGP is designed “as an omnibus strategy for the government to meet the critical needs of the citizenry in areas such as food security, energy, transport, human capital development, but more critically developing a local digital economy.”
Identification, the D-G of NIMC explained, “is fundamental to the Federal Government achieving its new policy for the overall economic development of the country,” but regretted that “many Nigerians lack basic identification documents despite significant government efforts over the years.”
Explaining the powers of NIMC, under its Act, Engr. Aziz said: “NIMC is empowered to ensure strict compliance with the NIN requirement and can demand evidence of compliance from a person or entity; caution a non-compliant person or entity in writing; sanction a non-compliant person or entity by the imposition of administrative fines or institute criminal or civil actions against the non-complaint person or entity.”
Speaking further, he said Section 27 of the NIMC Act empowers the Commission to set a date for the enforcement of the use of the NIN for transactions listed in the Act and also to expand applicable transaction in a Regulation approved by the Attorney General of the Federation.
Consequently, Engr. Aziz said “the Commission shall from 1st January 2019 commence full enforcement of the mandatory use of the NIN and apply all applicable sanctions and penalties as provided under Section 28 of the NIMC Act against defaulters.”
NIMC, in a statement, further explained: “In the light of the above, the Commission as the regulator for the identity Sector in Nigeria hereby makes the following announcement to all agencies of government and the private sector who are directly or indirectly into the business of data capture and service provision requiring identification of persons as follows:
- The cut-off date for data eligible for harmonisation with the National Identity Database (NIDB) is 1st of December 2018. This means:
- Only data captured as at 30th November 2018 will be subjected to harmonisation as is currently on-going;
- Fresh data capture of persons shall be in compliance with the Provisions set out in the Nigeria Biometric Standards; Mandatory use of the NIN Regulations 2017 and guidelines issued by the Commission.
That is to say the capturing agency must request and verify the NIN before taking secondary demographic data of the person and where the person does not have a NIN, register such person (where it is licensed to do so) or refer such person to a NIN registration centre.
. Only licensed public or private agencies shall capture and transmit biometric to the NIDB;
- Only the NIMC, Nigeria Police Force and other related security agencies shall store biometric data;
- All service providers of transactions listed in the Mandatory Use of the NIN Regulation 2017 must either directly obtain a license or through any licensed verification & authentication agents carryout verification & authentication of persons requesting/eligible for such services with his/her NIN;
The statement added that “in the coming days, NIMC will advertise its request for Expression of Interest from interested applicants for the provision of selected services under the National Identity Management System (NIMS) program. This will commence the process of selection of the frontend partners for the implementation of the digital identity ecosystem.”
Engr. Aziz expressed gratitude to President Buhari and Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, as well as members of the FEC, NASS, the World Bank, the French development agency – AFD, the European Union/EIB and members of the Harmonisation Committee, including industry stakeholders “whose expertise and contributions fostered harmonious discussion and created the platform for the development of the roadmap.”
Giving a background to the evolution of the strategic roadmap for the new digital identity ecosystem in Nigeria now to be fully implemented, the NIMC statement explained:
“In December 2016, and with the assistance of the World Bank, a high-level Policy Roundtable with stakeholders on Identification was held in Abuja.
“The Roundtable highlighted the role of digitally-enabled identity in Nigeria’s economic and social development, and possible options and steps to developing identification in Nigeria.
“The Roundtable noted that preparing a strategic roadmap for Nigeria’s identity program is an important next step for the identity ecosystem in Nigeria and leveraging digital identity to develop and transform our nation.
“The focus of the ecosystem approach is to ensure every individual in Nigeria is given a unique identity number within the next 3 – 5 years. To this end there were extensive stakeholder consultations in 2017.
According to the ‘Anatomy of a Cyber World: Global Report by Kaspersky Security Services’, there has been a noticeable decline in the percentage of high-severity incidents over the past few years.
While 2021 recorded the highest proportion at 14.3%, 2025 experienced the lowest in six years at just 3.8%. This trend indicates that many attack attempts were quickly detected and effectively mitigated by Kaspersky MDR experts, preventing their severity from escalating beyond medium levels.
High-severity incidents are defined as attacks involving direct human involvement that result in a significant impact on the customer’s IT infrastructure. In 2025, the number of such incidents detected by Kaspersky MDR decreased by 19% compared to 2024, highlighting improvements in early detection capabilities and more effective remediation efforts among Kaspersky MDR clients.
A detailed analysis of the root causes of these incidents in 2025 reveals the following insights:
Human-driven attacks accounted for approximately 23% of high-severity incidents. Although this represents a slight decrease from 2024, they continue to be the primary cause of serious breaches.
Kaspersky detected such attacks in nearly 21% of customers, demonstrating that motivated adversaries persist in bypassing automated defences. Despite advancements in automated detection tools, these highly skilled attackers still find ways to evade security measures.
Confirmed cyber exercises like Red Teaming made up over 23% of incidents. When activity is verified as part of security testing, it’s often classified as infrastructure false positives, though customers frequently report them as incidents.
Social engineering ranked third, responsible for over 15% of high-severity attacks and affecting nearly 18% of organisations. These are classified as high-severity when successful and not automatically remediated, often leading to security awareness recommendations.
Security policy violations constituted just under 14% of all cases, involving legitimate accounts performing suspicious actions like data exfiltration. Malware incidents represented less than 12%, while artifacts from past attacks, or APT traces, were found in over 7% of cases. Vulnerability detection, though not core focus for Kaspersky MDR, was reported in fewer than 5% of incidents.
“The decline in high-severity incidents highlights the critical importance of adopting a proactive cybersecurity strategy. Human-led solutions such as Managed Detection and Response (MDR) and Incident Response remain essential in combating sophisticated, human-driven threats.
To further enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of in-house security teams, organisations should incorporate advanced, automated solutions like Extended Detection and Response (XDR), which provide improved visibility and enable faster responses.
Additionally, leveraging SOC consulting services can assist in building a robust Security Operations Center from the ground up or optimising an existing one for maximum performance.
An integrated approach to hybrid security operations empowers organisations to detect threats early, contain them swiftly, and ultimately prevent severe breaches from occurring,” comments Sergey Soldatov, Head of Security Operations at Kaspersky.
Google and UpSkill Universe, Sub-Saharan Africa’s leading AI and business skills training partner, have announced a major redesign of the Google Hustle Academy programme.
For the first time, the free training initiative is open to everyone, not just business owners. The new curriculum is focused on equipping individuals and entrepreneurs with practical AI skills.
Small businesses are the engine of Africa’s economy, creating over 80% of jobs on the continent. To help them grow, the Hustle Academy was launched in 2022, providing bootcamp-style training on business strategy, digital skills, AI, and leadership. The program has since trained over 18,000 SMEs, with many reporting increased revenue and job creation.
Now, as AI reshapes the job market, the program is evolving. The 2026 edition is built for anyone in Sub-Saharan Africa, including employees, students, and jobseekers, who wants to use AI to advance their career.
To meet the needs of a diverse audience, the new format includes short, 60-minute webinars and more immersive, high-impact bootcamps. These sessions are laser-focused on putting AI to work immediately in areas like digital commerce, marketing, and growth strategy.
Speaking about the academy, Gori Yahaya, Founder & CEO UpSkill Universe said “The 2026 Hustle Academy is designed to close the AI Skills gap with hands-on training that is short, focused, and immediately useful. AI is reshaping how businesses win and how careers are built, right across this continent.
“We’re excited to renew our partnership, now in its fifth year with Google, combining their global AI leadership with our deep regional AI expertise. The next wave of AI leaders will come from this continent. We are making sure they are ready.”
The Hustle Academy initiative has strengthened digital competitiveness across emerging African economies by enabling SMEs to move beyond AI awareness to practical implementation, positioning them for sustained growth in an increasingly AI-driven business environment.
“We believe that the future of Africa’s digital economy lies in the hands of individuals and entrepreneurs alike. Our new strategy focuses on scaling reach by training individuals in the latest AI-centered tools and techniques,” said a Google representative.
Lagos State has dragged 45 individuals and firms, including Bi-Courtney Aviation, DAAR Communications and Leaders & Company, to revenue court for tax debts running into billions of naira.
Lagos Govt
Bi-Courtney, operators of Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two, faces N38.7 million claim; DAAR, behind Africa Independent Television, owes N22.4 million; ThisDay publishers Leaders & Company allegedly skip N67.1 million.
GMT Energy Resources tops corporates at N145.8 million, followed by Sheriff Deputies at N132.1 million; others like Heyden Petroleum, AA Rescue, BRT operator Primero also listed.
Individuals owe N13.5 million to N35 million each.
Attorney-General Lawal Pedro said suits followed ignored notices, aiming to enforce laws and fund infrastructure.
More defendants: IENG Nigeria, James Fisher, V Care Diagnostics, Venture Garden, Saro Africa, Barry Callebaut, Native Media, First Consulting, Eyowo Payments.
Compliant taxpayers post-notice escaped prosecution; defaulters risk penalties, interest, jail.
Pedro urged prompt filings and payments.
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