With the African Union Commission reportedly working towards the adoption of a new policy framework on digital ID this year, examining how socio-technical systems of identification are currently deployed and used on the continent, and with what potential consequences, is important. To help provide a better understanding of the state of digital ID on the continent, Research ICT Africa (RIA) and the Centre for Internet and Society (CIS) recently partnered to investigate the nature, development and potential impacts of digital ID processes in 10 African countries.
With support from the Omidyar Network, RIA and CIS worked closely with local partners in Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe to extract a snapshot of the state of digital ID in the countries selected, using a comprehensive evaluation framework specifically designed for assessing digital ID.
In this new thematic series, Africa’s Digital ID Dispatches, a selection of project findings are summarised through guest contributions from country partners. The Africa Portal is a publishing partner for the series.
