Digital ID a major step toward fighting invisibility in Africa

African governments can effectively reduce the invisibility of persons in their countries by investing more in digital ID which provides a less costly alternative for legacy ID systems, according to experts at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

With the complexity of the legal identity problem in Africa largely due to lack of strong civil registration and vital statistics systems, there is need for governments to take action is fighting what the Director of the African Center for Statistics at ECA, Oliver Chinganya, describes as “a scandal of invisibility”. In August ECA highlighted the benefits that come with linking CRVS and legal ID systems.

New African quotes Chinyanga as stating that in order to better solve the identity equation in line with the ‘legal identity for all’ initiative, efforts must be made to tackle “challenges such as a lack of infrastructure, political instability, and issues related to privacy and inclusivity remain to be tackled in many countries.”

To Mactar Seck, chief of technology and innovation at ECA, digital ID can prove extremely vital not only in enhancing access to digital services, but also in driving financial inclusion and ensuring more trusted digital transactions.

“Basic digital ID enables verification and authentication. A more advanced form of digital ID enables storing or linking additional information and provides opportunities for higher economic benefit,” says Seck as quoted.

He notes that while digital ID comes with a litany of economic and non-economic benefits, it also has challenges which must be sufficiently addressed. He talks about how a digital ID system can be successfully implemented, advising that it “requires a comprehensive and collaborative approach, considering the specific needs and challenges of each African country.”

ECA has noted previously that digital ID is vital for catalysing Africa’s digital economy and trade, especially as it has been projected that Africa’s digital economy will grow to over $300 billion by next year.

“Digital identity and the digital economy are not only linked, but are also reinforcing, as digital ID is the basis for digital economy platforms. Digital ID thus will facilitate the participation of Africans in the digital economy yielding dividends for inclusion and the overall growth and development of the continent,” ECA states.

The UN specialized agency also believes that digital ID can boost the GDP of countries by up to 13 percent if properly implemented.

Article Topics

Africa  |  biometrics  |  digital ID  |  financial inclusion  |  identity management  |  legal identity  |  UNECA