President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to establishing a credible, secure, and verifiable identity management system for all Nigerians, describing it as crucial to national development.

Speaking at the State House in Abuja on Thursday during the official launch of the NINAuth App, a digital and mobile-based identity authentication platform developed by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), President Tinubu said the innovation represents a major step in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey.

“Today’s official launch of the NIMC NINAuth App heralds a remarkable day in our nation’s digital public infrastructure journey as Africa’s largest identity database,” Tinubu said. “This innovation marks yet another milestone in our collective pursuit of a digitally empowered Nigeria.”

The President explained that the app will enable Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to verify staff and citizens’ data seamlessly, eliminating bottlenecks and reducing bureaucratic inefficiencies.

He noted that the platform aligns with his Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises the use of technology to improve efficiency, transparency, and accountability in governance.

“Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, our administration is committed to leveraging technology to enhance efficiency, transparency, and accountability in governance. Central to this agenda is the modernisation of digital infrastructure to eliminate unnecessary bottlenecks and ensure that every Nigerian, regardless of background or location, has access to essential services without the frustration of bureaucratic delays,” he stated.

According to President Tinubu, the NINAuth App positions Nigeria among the world’s technologically advanced nations by providing citizens and residents with a secure, inclusive, and data-protected platform for accessing government and private-sector services.

“A credible and inclusive National Identity Management System is fundamental to our national development goals. It supports financial inclusion, strengthens social welfare delivery, enhances our security architecture, and ensures accurate population data for evidence-based planning,” he added.

The President called on citizens to embrace the new platform, commending NIMC for transforming Nigeria’s identity management system into a dynamic, technology-driven process aligned with global best practices.

“Let us all embrace this new era. Let us protect it, use it responsibly, and ensure that it serves as a bridge connecting our people, our institutions, and our aspirations for a more prosperous nation,” he urged.

Earlier, the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said the launch reflects President Tinubu’s proactive approach to national development through technology.

“Your Excellency, you are solving tomorrow’s problem with technology. Every nation that desires to be efficient must first build systems that can identify, authenticate, and secure its citizens,” Tunji-Ojo said.

Also speaking, the Director General of NIMC, Engr. (Dr.) Abisoye Coker-Odusote, highlighted that the NINAuth App will help eliminate multiple data ownership, provide real-time verification, and enhance both business and government operations.

She disclosed that over 126.7 million Nigerians have been enrolled in the National Identity Database, with around 25 million of those registrations completed in the last two years — resulting in an average of 1.3 million daily verification requests.

“It is important that every single business or enterprise in this country, whether small, medium, or large, can have access to verifiable identity credentials of every citizen in Nigeria,” she explained.

The President concluded by reaffirming that the new identity system would strengthen trust in governance and ensure that “every identity counts and every citizen must matter.”