Benin reports 75% of identification services accessed through digital platforms

Citizens of Benin are increasingly using digital tools to access public services across several sectors. In 2025, at least 75 percent of all identification services were solicited via digital platforms, according to the country’s National Agency for the Identification of Persons (ANIP).

According to a data sheet released by the ID authority recently, the government issued 10.5 million civil status and identification services, and reached four million citizens with digital ID services via ANIP’s platforms. It explained that 37 percent of services were obtained through the digital government portal, 30 percent through the ANIP BJ mobile app, and eight percent via USSD code.

The figures also show 3.8 million authentications were done by telecommunications operators while 25 million digital Know Your Customer (eKYC) verifications were also completed.

ANIP said the figures represent real people and reflect its determination to “create the framework of trust that protects them.”

This year, ANIP says it hopes for even better figures as it plans to take the digital adoption rate higher and expand digital identity coverage in the country.

Benin’s digital transformation journey is on course and the government is deploying efforts in a number of sectors to facilitate access to identity services.

Recently, authorities launched a self-service mobile application dubbed ePass to facilitate the renewal of passports. The application is built on Seamfix’s GovSmart platform, and is integrated with Benin’s national ID and immigration systems.

At the ID4Africa AGM last year, ANIP also mentioned plans of launching a national digital wallet as part of a push to enhance access to digital services.

In order to strengthen its identity system, Benin has equally launched a digital civil registration system which is linked with health facilities across the country for instant issuance of birth certificates upon the birth of a child. Upon registration, a new-born will also be issued a Personal Identification Number.

The initiative, whose pilot phase was launched in October last year, is supported by UNICEF and the World Bank-funded Regional West Africa Unique Identification for Regional Integration and Inclusion (WURI) project.

WURI has made it possible for Benin citizens to obtain a foundational identity certificate (fID) which the World Bank says has eased access to several services for its holders.

Article Topics

Benin  |  biometric authentication  |  digital identity  |  government services  |  identity management  |  identity verification  |  National Agency for the Identification of Persons (ANIP)