Odita Sunday 
Defence Ministry, NIMC Partner to Strengthen National Security Through Digital Identity System
By Odita Sunday
The Federal Ministry of Defence has deepened efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture by partnering with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to implement the NIMC Act 2026, with a focus on enhancing data integrity, identity verification and intelligence sharing across government institutions.
The Special Assistant (Media) to the Honourable Minister of Defence, Leah Katung-Babatunde, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday after the Honourable Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd) OFR, received the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of NIMC, Dr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, and her management team at the Ship House in Abuja.
Speaking during the meeting, General Musa underscored the importance of interagency collaboration in tackling Nigeria’s evolving security threats, stressing that reliable and actionable data remains central to effective security operations.
“For us in the security sector, data is critical-to know who we are dealing with, who we are expecting, and even those within us, because sometimes the enemy is within. It is therefore vital for us to be able to identify everyone accurately,” the minister said.
He reaffirmed the Ministry of Defence’s commitment to supporting government institutions in line with its constitutional mandate, noting that integrated digital identity systems would enhance the country’s capacity to respond to both internal and external security challenges.
Earlier, Dr. Coker-Odusote said the visit centred on the strategic implementation of the NIMC Act 2026, describing the legislation as a critical tool for strengthening Nigeria’s national security framework through a reliable digital identity ecosystem.
She noted that enhanced identity management would improve verification processes, support defence operations and facilitate seamless intelligence sharing among government agencies.
Both officials agreed on the need to build a secure, trusted and interoperable digital identity system capable of improving coordination among security institutions and reinforcing national security efforts across the country.
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