FG partners NIMC to strengthen transparency, security in mining sector

The Federal Government has unveiled plans to deploy digital identity infrastructure to strengthen transparency, improve security and enhance regulatory oversight in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector through a partnership between the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

The initiative is expected to support technology-driven governance by improving the tracking of mining operations, strengthening enforcement, promoting data-driven decision-making and accelerating ongoing reforms aimed at sanitising the sector.

The development was disclosed in a statement signed by Lara Owoeye-Wise, Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development.

Speaking while receiving the Director-General of NIMC, Dr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, and her management team on a courtesy visit in Abuja, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, described the Commission as a critical institution in Nigeria’s development architecture, stressing that effective governance depends on credible identity management systems.

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According to him, technology, reliable data and digital identity have become indispensable tools for planning, regulation, investment 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.

The minister noted that the ongoing reforms in the solid minerals sector require stronger collaboration with institutions such as NIMC to improve transparency and accountability across the mining value chain.

“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 identified technology, statistics, data gathering and digital identity as critical enablers for evidence-based policymaking, improved regulatory oversight, efficient licensing, investment promotion and national development.

Earlier, NIMC Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, 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 management into the solid minerals sector would facilitate database integration across government institutions, strengthen regulatory compliance, improve 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 the Commission’s digital identity infrastructure would enable government agencies to develop more reliable databases, improve service delivery and promote greater transparency in public administration.

Both institutions reaffirmed their commitment to deepening collaboration through technology-driven initiatives to support reforms in the mining sector, strengthen governance, reinforce security and promote sustainable development.

They also highlighted the significance of the National Identity Management Commission Act, 2026, noting that the legislation provides a stronger legal framework for Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem.

According to the two agencies, the Act is expected to accelerate secure identity verification, improve inter-agency data integration, enhance public service delivery, strengthen law enforcement and lay the foundation for a modern digital economy by providing every eligible Nigerian and legal resident with a trusted digital identity.