Ethiopia unveils digital signature platform to secure online public services

Ethiopia has reached a new milestone in its digital transformation with the launch of teleSign, a digital signature platform aimed at boosting trust in online transactions and making them legally binding where necessary.

All government services will be connected to teleSign as part of a move to systematically transform the way they deliver services to the public.

The platform has been unveiled thanks to a collaboration involving Ethio Telecom, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, and the Documents Authentication and Registration Service (DARS).

Ethio Telecom is the state-run telecommunications company which has been playing a major role in the country’s ongoing digital transformation drive, including support for Fayda digital ID enrollment and other connectivity and innovation initiatives.

User verification during sign-up is based on an OTP, but the platform is also integrated with Fayda for identity verification.

With teleSign, Ethiopian citizens or anyone within the country’s territory, or outside it, can engage in borderless government transactions that according to Ethio Telecom are not only fast and secure, but also legally trusted.

The platform has been designed, among other objectives, to introduce “secure digital identity verification, legally recognized digital signatures, and fully digitized government workflows that reduce bureaucracy, increase accessibility, and promote national digital inclusion,” the telco said in an announcement.

It added that its role in the launch of teleSign underscores its “continued transformation into a Digital Service and Platform Provider, enabling secure digital ecosystems that support government institutions, businesses, and citizens.”

The platform is a key component of Digital Ethiopia’s 2030 strategy, a blueprint that was launched last year by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, to capitalize on the country’s 2025 Digital strategy gains. The Fayda ID is seen as a key tool in realizing the objectives of the 2030 strategy.

According to Ethio Telecom, teleSign will support the country’s pursuit of “citizen-centric digital governance, secure digital identity and authentication, integrated government service delivery, paperless, efficient and transparent institutions, and inclusive digital services for citizens and the diaspora community.”

The government believes teleSign will bring enormous benefits not only for individuals such as round-the-clock access to fully digital government services, but also for businesses and institutions including end-to-end digitalization and interoperability among agencies.

Among the national benefits, teleSign is expected to strengthen Ethiopia’s digital sovereignty, enhance legal recognition and trusted digital transactions, and contribute to the country’s overall socio-economic growth and development.

Ethiopia says it enrolls an estimated one million people a week for the Fayda digital ID, as it accelerates efforts to expand issuance.

Article Topics

digital ID  |  Ethio Telecom  |  Ethiopia  |  Fayda  |  government services  |  identity verification  |  TeleSign