ACCESS TO REGISTER INFORMATION IN THE NATIONAL IDENTITY DATABASE REGULATIONS, 2017
Regulation · Technology
Policy date: 2017-01-01
Regulations govern access to information in the National Identity Database for identity verification. They target banks, telecoms, and government agencies to ensure data privacy and restrict unauthorized use.
ACCESS TO REGISTER INFORMATION IN THE NATIONAL IDENTITY DATABASE REGULATIONS, 2017
What Is This Policy?
Regulations governing the conditions, procedures, and restrictions under which authorised institutions may access and use information from the National Identity Database for identity verification purposes.
Who Does It Target?
Banks, telecoms, and other regulated institutions requiring identity verification Government agencies with statutory access to identity data NIMC as the data custodian and access controller Law enforcement and security agencies
What Does It Aim to Achieve?
Enable authorised institutions to verify identities accurately using NIMC data while protecting the privacy of data subjects and preventing unauthorised access to the National Identity Database.
Key Features
Access Authorisation: Only institutions that have executed a data access agreement with NIMC and are authorised by law may access the register. Permitted Purposes: Access is limited to identity verification, fraud prevention, and statutory compliance; marketing and profiling are prohibited. API Access: Authorised institutions access register information through secure NIMC APIs, not bulk downloads. Access Audit Trail: Every access to the register is logged and subject to NIMC audit.
Current Status
Rollout Stage: Active - multiple institutions integrated with NIMC verification API Coverage: All authorised institutions with identity verification needs Beneficiaries: Consumers through more reliable identity verification; institutions through reduced fraud Funding: API access fees
How to Access
Execute a data access agreement with NIMC Integrate with NIMC API using prescribed technical standards Comply with data use restrictions and subject rights Application method: Apply for API access at https://www.nimc.gov.ng/developer
Important Terms
Bulk access to the identity database is prohibited regardless of purpose Access agreements may be revoked for misuse of register data Institutions must delete verification data after the prescribed retention period
Official Resources
Website: https://www.nimc.gov.ng Contact: National Identity Management Commission (NIMC)
Legal Framework
The National Identity Database Access Regulations 2017 are issued under the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2007. They operate alongside the Data Protection Act 2023, the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act 2020 (on KYC requirements), and the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 (on SIM registration). The Regulations align with international data sharing best practices from the GSMA Mobile Identity guidelines and the Privacy and Identity Standards of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO/IEC 29100).