Science & Tech · Cybersecurity · 1 hr ago
Nigeria says national identity database is hosted and managed locally
Nigeria’s National Identity Management Commission says its national identity database is hosted in Nigeria and managed by NIMC employees.
The system holds records linked to National Identification Numbers, which about 142 million Nigerians had registered for by September 2026.
NIMC says it does not use cloud hosting for the core database and has backup systems to keep services running if systems fail.
It says staff responsible for managing the database face ongoing security checks and may face legal consequences for misconduct.
But local storage does not by itself prevent data exposure: licensed partners and government agencies also access identity verification services.
About 63 government agencies have integrated with NIMC, while concerns raised in 2024 about a website offering identity information led to an investigation into possible misuse of authorised access.
The 2026 NIMC Act sets conditions for disclosing personal information, including consent, legal duties and court proceedings.
NIMC says the commission authenticates identities rather than keeping the reasons other organisations request verification; the account gives no further next steps.
Nigeria’s National Identity Management Commission says its national identity database is hosted in Nigeria and managed by its own employees.
NIMC director Alvan Ikoku said the commission does not use cloud hosting for its core database and has never hosted identity data outside the country.
The commission says 142 million Nigerians had registered for National Identification Numbers as of September 2026.
About 63 government agencies have integrated with NIMC, while access through partners and connected agencies remains a security concern.
- Who
- Nigeria’s National Identity Management Commission, represented by director Alvan Ikoku.
- What
- NIMC says its national identity database is hosted in Nigeria and managed by its employees.
- When
- Ikoku made the comments on Wednesday, during a briefing with journalists. The article was published on October 14, 2026.
- Where
- Nigeria.
- Why
- Ikoku was addressing concerns about where identity data is stored, who controls the infrastructure and how it is protected.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Reports about the XpressVerify website offering Nigerians’ identity information raised questions about how it obtained access.
NIMC said 142 million Nigerians had registered for National Identification Numbers.
TechCabal reported Ikoku’s comments at a briefing with journalists on Wednesday.
- Database location
- Hosted entirely in Nigeria, according to NIMC
- Database management
- Managed by NIMC employees
- Registered Nigerians
- 142 million had National Identification Numbers as of September 2026
- Integrated government agencies
- About 63
- API connection time
- About 72 hours for agencies whose systems are ready
What people are saying
It is being managed by Nigerians, not Nigerian vendors, by NIMC employees
All we need to do is to offer the application programme interface, which they would use.