Nigeria, Zimbabwe launch new farmer digital ID initiatives

After those of the tobacco sector, cotton farmers in Zimbabwe will soon have a biometric ID as part of efforts by the government to combat illegal market practices in the sector. In the same vein, the All-Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has also launched a digital ID scheme to stream line famer identification and facilitate distribution of inputs.

In Zimbabwe, the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) has been given the greenlight to proceed with the biometric enrollment process, The Herald reports.

Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Vangelis Haritatos, is quoted as saying that the cotton farmer ID database will help combat corrupt practices which have characterized the country’s cotton market for many years.

Haritatos was speaking during a meeting of cotton stakeholders aimed at discussing the implementation of resolutions in preparation for the 2025/2026 cotton season.

To restore order in the cotton market, the deputy minister called on AMA to immediately commence biometric enrollment of industry farmers, saying that the “digital registry will form the bedrock of a new era of transparency and bring an end to the chaos of cross-contracting and side marketing by enforcing one fundamental, non-negotiable rule of one farmer one merchant.”

The acting CEO of AMA, Jonathan Mukuruba, said they have already engaged a partner for the biometric registration of cotton growers, and they hope to dispatch teams to the field from October 15 to accelerate the process.

Beyond combatting illegal market practices, authorities say the biometric ID registry will streamline farmer identity verification especially for crop validation.

One stakeholder praised the biometric registry system and said it “provides a complete digital solution for farmer registration, contracting and marketing, moving the industry from a fragmented, high-risk model to a secure, efficient and transparent one.”

The cotton sector in Zimbabwe is emulating the example of the tobacco industry where a farmer ID registry has been put in place. The country’s Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB) says this will contribute to the establishment of a sustainable, secure, transparent, and efficient tobacco industry.

AFAN farmer ID in Nigeria

Like Zimbabwe, a similar farmer ID push has been ongoing in Nigeria for the past several months. Early this year, the country’s Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food security partnered with the National Identity Management commission (NIMC) to register at least six million Nigerian in the course of 2025.

At the start of this month, the All-Farmers Association of Nigeria unveiled a digital ID for its members as part of the federal government initiative.

AFAN’s National President, Farouk Rabiu-Mudi, is quoted by Peoples Gazette as saying that the digital ID will provide a unified platform to farmers for easy identification and better farmer data management.

“Farmers constitute about 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population, yet we remain voiceless. Our data has not been properly documented,” Rabiu-Mudi said, as quoted. He mentioned that the ID will also help streamline distribution of support to farmers through commodity associations.

India also has a farmer ID initiative, perhaps the most ambitious globally, with a plan by the government to issue 110 million farmer IDs.

Article Topics

Africa  |  digital ID  |  farmer ID  |  identity management  |  identity verification  |  Nigeria  |  Zimbabwe