The Federal Ministry of Defence has announced a strategic partnership with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) aimed at strengthening national security through enhanced data integrity, digital identity integration, and identity verification.
The commitment was reaffirmed by the Honourable Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd) OFR, during a meeting with the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NIMC, Dr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, and her management team at the Ship House, Abuja.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Leah Katung-Babatunde, the collaboration will support the full implementation of the NIMC Act 2026, with a focus on leveraging integrated digital identity systems to enhance defence operations and improve intelligence sharing across government institutions.
General Musa stressed that reliable and accurate data has become indispensable in addressing Nigeria’s evolving security challenges, noting that effective security operations depend on the ability to identify individuals accurately.
“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 Defence Minister said.
He reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to supporting relevant government agencies in line with its constitutional mandate, emphasizing that stronger interagency cooperation remains essential in combating both internal and external security threats.
Earlier, Dr. Coker-Odusote said the visit centred on discussions regarding the strategic implementation of the NIMC Act 2026 and its significance in reinforcing Nigeria’s national security architecture.
She underscored the importance of a unified digital identity framework in improving identity verification and enabling more efficient collaboration among security and intelligence agencies.
At the end of the meeting, both parties agreed on the need to build a secure, trusted, and interoperable digital identity ecosystem capable of enhancing defence operations, strengthening intelligence-sharing mechanisms, and supporting the country’s broader national security objectives.
