Malawi distributes 3M national ID cards printed in-country

Three million national ID cards have been printed and made available for collection at district registration offices of Malawi’s National Registration Bureau (NRB), with the release of a domestically printed second batch of cards.

In a recent press statement, the NRB Principal Secretary, Mak Sambo, said this batch of ID cards is the second after that of June 2024 where one million personalised ID cards were received from India and distributed to their owners.

The official said the ID cards printed are for those who applied for the document up to September, and have been sent to pick-up centers from a national sorting centre. The country says it wants every eligible citizen to have a national ID card by 2025.

“To ensure an efficient and accurate distribution process, NRB has assembled a dedicated team led by the Chief Registration Officer and District Registration Officers (DROs). This team oversees the scanning, recording, quality check, sorting, packing and dispatching of national IDs at the NRB national ID card sorting center in Kanengo,” Sambo wrote.

“The facility has been a critical hub for national ID card distribution logistics since June 2024 when the first batch of national IDs printed abroad was delivered.”

National IDs are now printed at NRB facilities using a high-performance printer supplied in April by Emptech. Officials said at the time that domestic printing would both speed up issuance and lower costs.

After being sent to district registration offices, Sambo says the cards have been further sent down to local registration centers, “ensuring timely delivery to the citizens who need them.”

The NRB boss described the process to distribute ID cards nationwide as a milestone which underscores their commitment to ensuring that all eligible citizens have access to this essential document.

“This achievement in national ID distribution represents a significant step forward in strengthening Malawi’s national identification system. It will enhance access to public services, support national development initiatives and foster a more inclusive and equitable society,” Sambo noted.

He reiterated the steadfastness of the ID authority in its “mission to serve all Malawians with integrity and efficiency, ensuring that every eligible citizen receives their national ID in a timely manner.”

While urging all Malawians who need assistance on ID services to contact the NRB using its official channels, the body also warned citizens against getting unauthorized access to its offices.

The NRB, last month, unveiled measures to speed up the issuance of ID cards to serve citizens who were preparing to take part in the final phase of a national biometric voter registration exercise which ended on December 11. Sambo said in a press conference that the NRB had taken all measures to ensure that a Unique National ID number is issued to an applicant within 24 hours after the registration process is completed.

Laxton played a frontline role in helping Malawi build its first biometric citizen register in 2017.

Article Topics

Africa  |  Emperor Technology  |  identity document  |  identity management  |  Malawi  |  national ID  |  National Registration Bureau (NRB)