Somalia unveils DPI tools for biometric verification, ID issuance and service access

Three foundational digital public infrastructure systems have been introduced by Somalia’s National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) and federal government to operationalize the country’s biometric and digital ID systems.

The three pillars of DPI unveiled are the HUBIYE identity verification platform, the CDS (Certificate Delivery System) and the eAqoonsi app, which provides a mobile device-based digital ID for access to online and offline services.

HUBIYE uses email and SMS OTPs to collect consent from individuals for their ID to be verified. The name “HUBIYE” is derived from the Somali word “hubin,” which translates roughly as “to check or verify.”

NIRAs national ID records include fingerprint and face biometrics, which are used to issue a National Identification Number (NIN).

A LinkedIn post by IBS Bank Head of Mobile Money Mohamed Bashir O. states that HUBIYE will eventually be used by financial institutions for biometric identity verification as part of KYC processes. Government and private sector service providers were directed by Somalia’s PM to begin integrating the national biometric ID card for customer verification and authentication in April.

The digital ID provided through the eAqoonsi app is legally equivalent to the national ID card.

“This launch marks a significant step in Somalia’s journey toward inclusive digital governance and modernized service delivery,” says NIRA Director General Abdiwali Ali Abdulle (Timacadde). “The systems — entirely developed by Somali engineers at NIRA — reflect strong national ownership and growing technical capacity.”

The development of the infrastructure, technical and institutional capacity for NIRA to implement the DPI systems was supported by the World Bank’s $75 million Scaled-UP project. A project paper on Scaled-UP specifies that its deliverables include biometric deduplication capabilities, secure data storage and management, credential issuance, a grievance redress system and reliable authentication and ID verification for both financial service providers and social assistance programs.

The DPI tools were launched Wednesday at an event in Mogadishu attended by officials from the government, central bank and the Somali Bankers Association.

Second Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia H.E. Jibril Abdirashid Haji Abdi hailed the launch as a milestone in the country’s digital transformation, saying, “These systems will unlock secure, equitable access to services for all Somalis.”

“Digital identity is not a privilege—it is a constitutional right and the foundation of trust between citizens and the state,” says Somalia Minister of Interior, Federal Affairs, and Reconciliation H.E. Ali Yusuf Ali (Ali Hosh).

Somalia’s government also announced a phased expansion of its digital ID registration campaign across the country and to the Somalian diaspora.

Article Topics

Africa  |  biometrics  |  digital ID  |  digital public infrastructure  |  eAqoonsi app  |  HUBIYE IDV  |  identity verification  |  national ID  |  NIRA Somalia  |  Somalia  |  World Bank