Madagascar signs with MOSIP for national digital ID pilot, plans 1k enrollments

A national digital ID system based on MOSIP will be piloted in Madagascar, after the government signed onto a memorandum of understanding.

The MOU, signed by the Ministere Du Developpement Numerique, De La Transformation Digitale, Des Postes Et Des Telecommunications De Madagascar (MNDPT), calls for 1,000 enrollments during the pilot. The deal also includes the code and documentation, technical expertise and support for Madagascar government staff. The intended outcome of the pilot is a blueprint for the technical, policy, and implementation of a full country-wide program.

The pilot will be customized for Madagascar, and assist with capacity-building and technical support for local personnel.

Tahina Razafindramalo, MNDPT Minister, says that a unique identification system with authentication capabilities is a fundamental part of the Presidency of Madagascar’s vision. The system is expected to facilitate access to public services, while the technology procured for the national ID project will upgrade the country’s digital infrastructure.

“This pilot is an opportunity for all involved parties to gather significant learnings, ensuring that any programme we initiate together will be implemented with the best of methods and technology,” says Professor S. Rajagopalan, speaking on behalf of IIIT-Bangalore and MOSIP.

Madagascar picked up $143 million in World Bank funding to develop its digital identity system in 2020.

Recommendations for Francophone countries implementing MOSIP

Meanwhile, Jaume Dubois of consultancy ID30 has posted to LinkedIn a document making recommendations for good practices when adapting MOSIP’s open source digital identity system to African contexts.

The recommendations are drawn from Dubois’ experience consulting for a West African nation deploying MOSIP, prioritizing the interests of states and the people in them.

“At this time when French-speaking countries are preparing for their National Identification project based on MOSIP, I wanted to share these recommendations more widely so that these countries can also benefit from them,” he explains.

A recent examination of MOSIP claimed it has been used to register more than 71 million people around the world for national digital identity projects as of September.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital ID infrastructure  |  digital identity  |  Madagascar  |  MOSIP (Modular Open Source Identity Platform)  |  national ID