Several commercial banks in Ethiopia have received biometric enrolment kits to assist with the National ID Programme as part of the initiative to expand the Fayda digital ID.
The Ethiopian Bankers Association or EBA has distributed 2,000 kits to 31 banks during a ceremony held at the headquarters of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, [1] according to a report by Addis Fortune. A total of 6,000 biometric kits are set to be distributed, with an additional 4,000 currently in the procurement process following a tender update last month. The total cost for the biometric kits is estimated at $17 million. Each portable kit includes a facial recognition camera, fingerprint and iris scanners, a laptop, and lighting equipment.
With the assistance of banks in the enrolment process, there is an anticipated increase in the number of Ethiopian citizens obtaining a digital ID in the upcoming months. Demissew Kassa who is [2] the EBA Secretary General stated during a recent handover ceremony that the distribution of kits will support the government’s goal of enrolling 40 million individuals in [3] the Fayda digital ID programme by the end of the year. The National ID Programme aims to raise the total number of Ethiopians [4] who have received the Fayda digital ID to 63 million by the end of 2025 and 70 million by 2027.
Ethiopia initiated a pilot of [5] its National Digital ID programme in April 2024 across 29 cities, with plans for a nationwide launch. Yodahe Zemichael who [5] is the Executive Director of the National ID Programme said, “So far, 23 million Ethiopians have registered for national IDs since the programme’s launch,” Yodahe said. “This year alone, we plan to register and issue digital IDs to 40 million citizens across all regions and city administrations. In the past, we were limited to cities. Now, we’ve expanded to rural kebeles even those without electricity or roads. This wider outreach allows us to reach our 40-million target.” Yoda acknowledged that registration rates could decline as the initiative extends to remote rural communities. “It’s not yet possible to register every citizen. Those outside formal systems like banking, telecom, taxation, or formal employment require separate strategies for inclusion.”
The Fayda digital ID initiative is a component of the Ethiopia Digital ID for Services and Inclusion project, [6] which is financed by the World Bank. Launched in 2023, the World Bank claims that the Fayda digital ID [7] is addressing gender disparities and improving access to government social protection grants. “By providing millions of Ethiopians, including women, refugees, and IDPs, with a digital identity, the Fayda ID system is unlocking access to vital services and economic opportunities. The transformative power of digital ID is already sparking interest from other African nations, eager to integrate marginalized populations like refugees into their own national ID systems. The World Bank and its partners are committed to sharing lessons to help other countries create inclusive ID systems that foster social and economic participation for all. As Ethiopia leads the way, the future is becoming brighter, more inclusive, and more accessible for all of its people, unlocking opportunities for a better tomorrow,” said the World Bank.
Maryam Salim [8] a Division Director at the World Bank also said, “Fayda is more than just a digital ID; it’s a gateway to a brighter future, opening doors to economic opportunity, financial inclusion, and social protection for millions of Ethiopians. Through this system, women, refugees, internally displaced persons, the homeless, and other marginalized communities now have the necessities to rebuild their lives and integrate fully into society.”
However, Samara Linton who [9] is the Head of Community and Content at POCIT has stated that Africa's initiative to implement digital identity systems, supported by the World Bank and UN agencies, [10] has not significantly fulfilled its expectations for enhancing democratization and development. “Countries across Africa have implemented biometric data collection to establish national identity registries, aiming to fulfil the UN’s sustainable development goal of providing legal identity for all. However, in Uganda, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, digital ID programs have led to surveillance, electoral manipulation, and corruption often excluding the populations they were intended to serve,” said Linton.