World Bank demystifies PKI and electronic signatures at ID4Africa 2025

A workshop chaired by World Bank officials Nay Constantine, Tunde Fafunwa and Chris Tullis addressed how electronic signatures enable remote transactions, their differences form “digital signatures” and common misconceptions.

The World Bank’s ID4D initiative also took the opportunity to distribute policy notes on public key infrastructure and electronic signatures.

The workshop began by emphasizing the necessity of remote services such as opening a bank account and school enrollment, using the example of a person who has recently moved to a country where electronic signatures are not legally recognized. It then proceeded a review of how e-signatures, digital signatures and public key infrastructure fit together.

Signatures perform identification, attribution, endorsement and integrity functions, says Tullis. Electronic signatures and digital signatures are in a simple sense synonymous, but the former carries a legal meaning, whereas the latter is a technological concept.

ICAO provides an example of cross-border trust and recognition, based on the trust framework supported by the public key directory (PKD), a technical standard (ICAO 9303) and the legal basis of the Chicago Convention. The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) provides a legal foundation for recognition of electronic signatures. And the AfCTA supports mutual recognition between member states.

A comment and question from a Brazilian delegate about the need for both digital and electronic signatures for transactions in the country in certain circumstances highlighted what Tullis calls “the curse of partial digitalization.”

It also demonstrated the incremental increase in South-South knowledge exchange which ID4Africa has fostered since its inception.

Four myths were addressed during the workshop: that PKI is needed to establish an electronic signature system; that electronic signatures must always be implemented to the highest possible level of assurance;  that electronic signatures are relevant only for high-income countries; and that each country’s digital signature system must be operated by the government.

On the third point, Benin and Togo began providing digitally signed COVID vaccination certificates during the pandemic, despite relatively low digital maturity, an Aristide Adjinacou from Benin’s ASIN told the packed conference hall.

Adam Cooper, technical consultant for the World Bank and European Commission, noted there are three types of e-signatures with different levels of trust. Qualified electronic signatures (QES) are highest, but for most transactions, are unnecessary, Cooper explained. For example, Docusign uses the equivalent of an advanced, or medium-risk e-signature, for tax returns. Ukraine’s Dia uses the national ID and face biometrics to establish advanced electronic signatures, which can be used for a wide range of transactions.

A practical roadmap was shared by Solomon Richardson of Ghana’s NITA based on his country’s experience, including its PPP for e-signature certification authority (CA) operation and integration with the national digital identity.

Idakto CSO Yann Bouan represented the industry on a panel discussing how electronic signatures can empower individuals.

While the identity verification that binds individuals to their electronic signatures remains a crucial element, e-signatures themselves are a crucial means for governments to deliver remote service capabilities to people.

Article Topics

digital identity  |  electronic-signature  |  ID4Africa  |  ID4Africa 2025  |  iDAKTO  |  Identification for Development (ID4D)  |  PKI  |  World Bank