The government of Rwanda aims to have its national digital ID system fully implemented by June of 2026 with progress being reported as substantial. Meanwhile Ghana will roll out digital identification for children.
More [1] than 300,000 citizens have been biometrically enrolled in the country's digital ID system, according to Josephine Mukesha, [2] the Director General of the National Identification Agency or NIDA, in an [3] interview with The New Times. The biometric data collected includes facial recognition, fingerprints, and iris scans. “The digital ID enables remote identity verification and expands who can receive an ID. It will be issued from birth, unlike the current ID which starts at age 16. It also includes groups previously left out, such as asylum seekers, stateless persons in border areas, and immigrants who have been living in Rwanda without formal identification,” said Mukesha.
Applicants must submit their current national ID card, parents’ ID numbers, a spouse’s ID number if relevant, and birth certificates for their children to register. Following verification, they will receive a reference number and be scheduled for biometric enrollment, which encompasses fingerprints, iris scans, and facial recognition. Rwanda's digital ID project, [4] established under a legislative framework in 2023, is an initiative within [5] the Rwanda Digital Acceleration Project or RDAP. This project claims it would enhance digital connectivity by expanding broadband access, improving digital public services, and promoting inclusion. The proposed legislative amendment by the Rwandan government could extend the provision of digital identity cards to stateless individuals and newborns in the country.
Paula Ingabire [6] who is the Minister of ICT has stated that the system is part of the government's efforts in Kigali to facilitate access to public services and promote the digital economy, while improving the living conditions of its citizens, “The enactment of the new law relating to enrollment into a single digital identity system will enable the country to close the existing gap in the current population identification system to a more advanced, effective, and efficient delivery of services in both private and public sectors,” said Ingabire. The Rwanda Digital Acceleration Project [7] is also being funded by the World Bank.
Earlier in 2023, Mahamudu Bawumia [8] who was Vice President of Ghana announced [9] a digital ID card initiative and revealed plans to begin issuing digital ID cards to children. A year earlier in 2022, Bawumia stated that the Ghana card [10] may soon address issues related to the voters' register. “Very soon you'll see that our problem with voter registration will disappear. It's only a matter of time. If not at the next elections, the elections after, because we spend so much on voter registration but one's unique identifier is determined and you can't have underage people coming to register and vote,” said Bawumia. “Ghana card will be a good identification document as we're already seeing so that we sanitize the voter registration system.”
In that same year, Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security put [11] forward a proposal to issue chip-enabled ID cards for children aged six years and younger. Reports from Vietnamese online media indicate that this initiative is included in suggested amendments to the country’s Law on Citizenship Identity. The proposal was also shared on the ministry’s social media platforms for public feedback. Under the proposal, obtaining the chip-based ID for children would not be obligatory and could be issued concurrently with their birth certificates. Additionally, the capture of biometrics would not be necessary, according to a report by Vietnam Plus.