By Taiwo Scholarstica
The Federal Government has announced plans to deploy digital identity technology to improve the monitoring of mining operators, strengthen regulation and tackle insecurity in Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, disclosed this while receiving the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Identity Management Commission, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, and her management team during a courtesy visit to his office in Abuja.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Lara Owoeye-Wise, the ministry and NIMC are working towards a stronger partnership to promote digital identity, improve governance and support ongoing reforms in the mining industry.
Alake described NIMC as a key institution in Nigeria’s governance framework, noting that effective planning, regulation and public administration depend on reliable identity systems and accurate data.
“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,” the minister said.
He explained that the ongoing reforms in the solid minerals sector require closer cooperation with agencies responsible for identity management to boost transparency, accountability and security throughout the mining value chain.
According to the minister, a reliable digital identity system will enable the government to identify and monitor mining operators more effectively while distinguishing licensed operators from those involved in illegal mining.
“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 said.
Alake noted that technology, digital identity, data collection and statistical analysis remain essential tools for evidence-based policymaking, efficient licensing, stronger regulatory oversight and attracting investment into the sector.
He added that access to verified data would provide government with a clearer picture of activities across the mining industry and support policies that encourage sustainable growth.
The move comes as the Federal Government continues efforts to reform the solid minerals sector, which has long been affected by illegal mining, weak monitoring systems, insecurity and inadequate data on operators.
Authorities have repeatedly stressed that stronger regulation, improved data management and stricter enforcement are necessary to unlock the sector’s economic potential while reducing illegal mining activities.
Earlier, Coker-Odusote outlined areas where NIMC and the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development could collaborate to improve governance in the sector.
She said the recently enacted NIMC Act 2026 had strengthened the legal foundation for Nigeria’s digital identity system and created fresh opportunities to integrate identity management into government operations.
According to her, linking NIMC’s digital identity infrastructure with the mining sector would improve database integration among government agencies, enhance regulatory compliance and strengthen security and law enforcement.
She added that the system would also improve the monitoring of mining operators and support the implementation of Community Development Agreements in mining host communities.
Coker-Odusote further stated that a reliable digital identity framework would enable government institutions to maintain more accurate databases, improve service delivery and promote transparency in public administration.
She added that the commission’s infrastructure would accelerate secure identity verification, improve inter-agency data sharing and help regulators verify mining operators more effectively across the country.
Both organisations reaffirmed their commitment to deepening collaboration through technology-driven initiatives aimed at supporting ongoing reforms, improving governance, enhancing transparency and strengthening accountability in the management of Nigeria’s mineral resources.