Rwanda notes progress with $57M digital ID system to launch next year

The intension of the government of Rwanda is to fully have in place its national digital ID system by June next year, and efforts to materialize this objective are advancing on a good footing.

So far, more than 300,000 citizens have been biometrically enrolled for the digital ID system in the country, the Director General of the National Identification Agency (NIDA), Josephine Mukesha, said in an interview with The New Times. The biometrics include face, fingerprints and iris.

Expected to cost around $57 million, the NIDA boss disclosed that key components of the projects are either in place or in the process of procurement, and citizens will begin receiving the Single Digital Identity (SDID) numbers once the enrollment is completed. For the 2025/2026 fiscal year, the government allocated about $8.5 million for biometric enrollment.

Among other things, Mukesha explained that the new digital ID, which has been designed in a privacy-preserving manner, will close the identification gap in the country to include people who currently have no legal identity.

It will be useful in facilitating remote biometric authentication for access to a wide range of services online, she noted, adding that building the systems required them to tap experience from nations like Estonia, Singapore, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Kenya which have success stories in digital identity initiatives.  In May, Rwanda received bids for the supply of an Automated Multi-modal and Modular Biometric Authentication System (AMBAS).

She also allayed fears that the government has a hidden intension behind the digital ID program, emphasizing that “it is simply the latest stage in the evolution of identification systems in Rwanda.”

Rwanda’s digital ID project whose legislative framework was put in place in 2023 is part of the Rwanda Digital Acceleration Project (RDAP) which is meant to expand digital connectivity through broadband rollout, digital public services and drive inclusion.

It is funded by the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank at an estimated amount of $200 million. Researchers say the digital ID initiative will contribute significantly to the nation’s digital economy, although there are risks and challenges that authorities must squarely address.

Aside from the digital ID, Rwanda has also reported progress on other related aspects such as digital connectivity. The country is also leading efforts in AI development on the continent with President Paul Kagame recently appointed Chairperson of the Africa AI Council.

Article Topics

Africa  |  biometric enrollment  |  biometrics  |  digital ID  |  legal identity  |  National Identification Authority (NIDA)  |  Rwanda  |  Rwanda Digital Acceleration Project (RDAP)