The Federal Government on Tuesday marked the 2025 National Day of Identity with a strong commitment to embedding Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) at the heart of Nigeria’s digital transformation.
At the event in Abuja, themed “Public Key Infrastructure: Backbone to Digital Public Infrastructure”, Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, described identity as the cornerstone of modern governance and a key driver of Nigeria’s digital economy.
He explained that PKI, which enables authentication, confidentiality, and integrity across electronic systems, would provide the cryptographic trust required to move critical government, financial, health, and commercial services into the digital space securely.
“Cryptographic trust anchors are not a niche IT project; they are national infrastructure,” the minister said.
Tunji-Ojo outlined five pillars for Nigeria’s PKI roadmap: legal and governance clarity, resilient technical standards, interoperability across sectors, local capacity building, and privacy protection through strong oversight.
He noted that agencies including the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) are already collaborating to integrate PKI into the national identity and service framework.
The minister cited recent initiatives such as the commissioning of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Technology Innovation Complex, which houses a command and control centre, data facilities, and biometric production lines, as well as reforms in passport enrolment and renewal, as practical steps in building Nigeria’s digital public infrastructure.
He urged private sector players and development partners to align with government’s efforts by scaling interoperable services and supporting capacity building.
“If we treat identity infrastructure as strategic national infrastructure, governed, auditable, and aligned with global best practice, Nigeria will not only meet global standards, it will set regional benchmarks,” Tunji-Ojo said.
The National Identity Day celebration convened policymakers, regulators, diplomats, technology leaders, and industry players to advance dialogue on strengthening Nigeria’s identity and digital ecosystems