Namibia steps up public outreach ahead of digital ID rollout

Teams from Namibia’s Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security have been meeting community representatives as part of an ongoing national campaign to create awareness on the imminent launch of the country’s national digital ID program.

In the last few days, officials have held town hall meetings to explain the nature of the project, its benefits for citizens as well as the need for stronger collaboration from the population and other stakeholders of wider society.

The sensitization process, which has the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), started on July 27 in the Omaheke Region where teams have been visiting different constituencies. The campaign in that region is expected to end August 5, according to a ministry announcement. The awareness campaigns to prepare citizens for the rollout of Namibia’s digital ID started last year.

Throughout the engagements, the teams have been responding to questions on a wide range of issues including how the rollout will unfold, concerns around data privacy and security, national ID card cost, and replacement procedures for damaged ones.

Home Affairs clarified the aspect of cost, noting that first-time applicants will not be expected to pay any fee, and that payments will only be required from those who intend to replace damaged or lost IDs.

With regard to security, the ministry has assured that data related to the digital ID initiative will be “managed in-country by Namibians for Namibians.”

The new digital ID will look much like the old version, except that it will come with a blue embedded chip that will contain the biometric information of the holder.

In the course of the campaign, Digital ID Ambassador Raphael Malakia has emphasized that the sensitization campaign is necessary for a smooth transition to the new system, which is expected to streamline the delivery of services for Namibians.

The Namibia drive is in line with global recommendations that awareness campaigns are vital before digital ID rollouts as they can help deconstruct misconceptions that can create distrust and slow down adoption.

Article Topics

Africa  |  biometrics  |  digital ID  |  e-ID  |  identity management  |  Namibia  |  national ID  |  UNDP