By Palma Ileye
Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) have agreed to strengthen collaboration on digital identity to improve governance, security and ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
This was disclosed in a statement issued Sunday by Lara Owoeye-Wise, Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, following a courtesy visit by the Director-General and management of NIMC to the Minister’s office in Abuja.
Speaking during the meeting, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, described NIMC as a critical institution in Nigeria’s development architecture, stressing that effective governance depends on credible identity management supported by technology and reliable data.
According to him, technology and digital identity have become indispensable tools for planning, regulation, investment promotion and national security.
“NIMC occupies a critical position in translating policy into reality. It is pivotal to the development of any nation because governance today is driven by data, technology and credible identity systems,” Alake said.
He noted that the ongoing reforms in the solid minerals sector require stronger collaboration with institutions such as NIMC to promote transparency and accountability across the mining value chain.
He explained that a credible digital identity system would improve the tracking of both legal and illegal mining activities, strengthen regulation, enhance enforcement and support efforts to sanitise the sector.
“Without identification, we cannot trace; we cannot track, and insecurity will flourish. In the solid minerals sector, we need effective tracking of both legal and illegal operations. A credible identity ecosystem will strengthen regulation, improve enforcement and support our efforts to sanitise the sector,” he added.
Alake further identified technology, data collection, statistics and digital identity as essential tools for evidence-based policymaking, improved regulatory oversight, efficient licensing, investment promotion and national development.
Earlier, Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NIMC, Dr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, said the recently enacted NIMC Act, 2026, has positioned Nigeria to fully embrace a digital governance ecosystem.
She said integrating digital identity into the solid minerals sector would facilitate database integration across government institutions, improve regulatory compliance, strengthen security and law enforcement, enhance monitoring of mining operators and support the implementation of Community Development Agreements (CDAs) in mining host communities.
Coker-Odusote added that NIMC’s digital identity infrastructure would enable government agencies to build more reliable databases, improve service delivery and promote greater transparency in public administration.
Both organisations reaffirmed their commitment to deepening collaboration through technology-driven initiatives aimed at supporting reforms in the mining sector, strengthening governance, improving security and advancing sustainable development.
The meeting also underscored the significance of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act, 2026, which provides a stronger legal framework for Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem.
The Act is expected to accelerate secure identity verification, improve inter-agency data integration, enhance public service delivery, strengthen law enforcement and promote transparency and accountability while supporting the country’s transition to a modern digital economy.
