Hills and valleys for global ID registration and digital transformation

The global boom in digital IDs has picked up speed in some countries, while others face delays and a falloff in enrolment.

In Sierra Leone, X Infotech has deployed its modular system for document registry, calling it “a turnkey solution for national and non-national eID and ECOWAS card issuance.” In a release, the company says the digital ID will help streamline government processes, improve the accuracy and security of citizens’ personal data, and provide a more efficient and secure way to access services.

“We look forward to continue our work in Sierra Leone with (partners) Constrat Systems Ltd. and NCRA and will fully support the digitalization efforts of the government,” says Sergey Yeliseyev, Business Development Director for Government eID of X Infotech.

Biometrics and national digital transformation efforts in Vietnam hit a milestone recently, with Vietnam Plus reporting that, as of June 28, 4.22 million of the more than 6 million e-ID accounts created in Hanoi have been activated.

According to the city’s Department of Information and Communications, the city is moving rapidly toward digitization, with local districts taking up tasks and more than 99 percent of city businesses submitting their tax declarations electronically.

ID registration slows in 2 African nations

Nigeria’s National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) says that registrations for National Identification Numbers (NIN) have dropped off the monthly average. A post from TechNext reports 634,603 registrations for the month of July, down significantly from May’s high of 1.3 million.

To date, 101.64 million NINs have been issued, with Lagos recording the highest number of enrolments at 11.07 million. Bayelsa, to the southeast of the capital, has the lowest, with 638,660 issuances.

The slowdown could put further pressure on Nigeria, which even at a million enrolments monthly was at risk of not meeting targets set by the World Bank’s Digital Identification for Development (ID4D) project. ID4D wants 148 million Nigerians to have a NIN by June 2024. Of those, 65 million are expected to be women.

In Malawi, concern around costs and the timing of an election compelled the National Registration Bureau to put the brakes on its campaign to renew 4 million IDs. Expired ID cards will now be valid until January 2026, as the government prepares to register voters for the 2025 presidential contest. Registration for a new ID comes with a cost of K2,500, or about USD$2.50.

On the positive side, from having no ID system in 2017, Malawi has to date registered 94 percent of its adult population.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital ID  |  Malawi  |  national ID  |  Nigeria  |  Sierra Leone  |  Vietnam  |  X Infotech