Johannesburg announced as host city of ID4Africa 2019

ID4Africa Executive Chairman Dr. Joseph Atick told a standing-room only crowd at Abuja International Conference Centre that Johannesburg, South Africa has been selected as the host city for the movement’s fifth annual event next year, as the final day of ID4Africa 2018 wrapped up in Abuja, Nigeria.

The theme of ID4Africa 2019 will be “Identity Ecosystems for Service Delivery.” This theme is meant to reflect the progress that has been made in reaching consensus on how to establish legal digital identity, and the next step in extending identity systems, as well as the need to motivate public support and participation by linking Identity to services to achieve full population coverage, Dr. Atick told Biometric Update.

ID4Africa’s annual event has previously has been held in Tanzania, Rwanda, and Namibia.

“More African countries have sent official delegates to ID4Africa 2018,” Mkuseli Apleni, Director General of South Africa’s Ministry of Home Affairs commented to the assembled delegates. “This huge commitment bears testimony to the importance and pan-African commitment of this forum.”

Host countries for the event are chosen based on a range of criteria including leadership in the movement for universal identity in Africa, and availability of infrastructure necessary to host a technology-centric forum which has grown from roughly 300 to 1550 participants in four years.

“In a mobilized digital world, the critical resource is secure, reliable data, and civil registration authorities will have to be the source of this data. That is essential for development,” Apleni continued. “Modern identity systems we are developing will the be very backbone of original and African regeneration and development. Fully in place, high tech systems will support programs geared to rid Africa of the spectres of colonial bondage and under-development.”

“In this regard, South Africa will be implementing a new automated biometric integrated system toward the end of this year,” he said.

Among the expected additions to the ID4Africa program next year in Johannesburg is a focus in data privacy and security.

Biometric Update’s ongoing coverage as Official Journalist of ID4Africa 2018 will include feature interviews and focusses on the biometric technology exhibited at the event.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  Dr. Joseph Atick  |  ID4Africa  |  Identity  |  South Africa