African countries have stepped up their digital identity initiatives, with over a dozen targeting full coverage within the next three years. In Ethiopia, the government has set an ambitious target of 90 million digital IDs over the next two years, while Namibia will start rolling out a similar initiative in 2026. Even Africa’s smallest nation, São Tomé and Príncipe, is digitalizing identity to boost inclusion.
Ethiopia’s ambitious 90M enrollment target
Ethiopia has emerged as a regional powerhouse in digital identity and has already enrolled 16.9 million citizens to its Fayda Number digital ID, equating to 13% of its population. The target is 90 million within the next two years, says Yodahe Zemichael, the director of the National ID Program (NIDP).
Speaking on the sidelines of the recent ID4Africa event, held in the capital, Addis Ababa, Zemichael stated that the Ethiopian government considers digital identity a necessity, not an optional luxury.
“In Ethiopia, the eligible population is everyone, including children. If 10–30 percent don’t have an ID, then they’re excluded from schemes like social programs or agricultural initiatives. That undermines the value of digital ID. So yes, 90 percent is the minimum,” he told one news outlet.
Ethiopian leaders who spoke at the event cited strong political support, significant financing, and regulatory changes as some of the key factors behind the success of the Fayda Number. The program was launched five years ago under the Digital Ethiopia 2025 initiative, whose primary goal was to digitize the East African country’s $164 billion economy.
As of last month, the digital ID had been integrated into 55 public and private sector institutions. Three weeks ago, the government launched the FaydaPass Wallet, developed in partnership with Visa (NASDAQ: V), to boost financial inclusion.
Ethiopia’s exploits are inspiring other African countries to digitalize identity for their citizens. Two months ago, Zambia announced that its own digital ID initiative would be based on the Ethiopian model.
According to Zemichael, the digital ID will allow the country to better serve its vast population; with 120 million citizens, only Nigeria has a larger population than Ethiopia in Africa.
“It’s not even about ambition; it’s a necessity. And 90 million out of 120 million isn’t even 90 percent, so we actually have to go beyond that.”
Namibia, São Tomé and Príncipe step up digital ID efforts
Beyond Ethiopia, dozens of other African countries are pursuing similar digital ID efforts. One of these is Namibia, whose government has now earmarked July 2026 as the launch date for a new digital identity system.
Namibia’s Home Affairs Ministry first announced the initiative in April, and last week, executive director Etienne Maritz revealed the deadline as mid-next year.
Maritz said that the e-ID will transition the Southern African country to a secure and digitally connected society, as reported by the local paper, Windhoek Observer.
“Unlike conventional paper documents, the biometric-enabled e-ID is nearly impossible to forge, offering each citizen a uniquely verifiable identity that is both secure and enduring,” he said.
However, he acknowledged citizens’ concerns regarding the safety and privacy of their data.
“Every innovation comes with questions and concerns. That is why the Ministry will be engaging the public early, openly, and honestly, so that no one is left behind or misinformed,” he stated.
The Namibian government is planning an extensive education and awareness campaign, starting with the United Nations Conference on Digital Legal Identity in Windhoek later this month.
In Central Africa, one of the continent’s smallest countries, São Tomé and Príncipe, is piloting a national digital ID system. Speaking at the ID4Africa in Ethiopia, a representative for the country’s Justice Ministry revealed that the pilot has been successful so far.
São Tomé is the second-smallest country in Africa by land area and population after Seychelles.
The new system will be built atop the Modular Open-Source Identity Platform (MOSIP), an open-source digital ID platform that governments build foundational ID programs on. Backed by the World Bank and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, it’s been tapped by the Philippines, Morocco, Sri Lanka, Ethiopia, and others.
“The process is going on well….and we are looking at how to move into the next phase, that is full-scale deployment,” the representative told one news outlet.
Watch: Tech redefines how things are done—Africa is here for it
title=”YouTube video player” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen=””>
Source: https://coingeek.com/ethiopia-namibia-sao-tome-and-principe-step-up-digitalization/