Somalia recently launched a national biometric identification card system, marking a major milestone in the country’s digital transformation journey. The national ID rollout is expected to provide enormous benefits for security, elections, establishing identity, enabling remittances, and boosting the economy.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre were the first to receive the new national ID cards at the launch ceremony in Mogadishu. President Mohamud described the initiative as a “crucial document” that will “enhance security, public service provision and provide our citizens (with) a means to establish their identity.”
The Need for Digital ID in Somalia
Somalia has faced immense challenges over the past few decades due to conflict, terrorism, poverty, and weak governance. The country lacks basic infrastructure and systems that most nations take for granted. For instance, only around 3% of births are registered in Somalia, leaving the majority of citizens without official documentation.
Establishing legal identification is foundational for modern states. ID systems enable people to exercise rights, access services, participate in the digital economy, prove eligibility, and validate identity. For governments, ID systems are necessary for service delivery, revenue mobilization, planning, and responding to crises.
Somalia’s lack of a national ID system has hindered progress on many fronts. Without proper identification, Somalia struggles with financial inclusion, social protection programs, immigration control, and security. The fragmented identity ecosystem also makes it difficult to compile essential statistics for policymakers.
Citizens’ identities need to be uniquely registered to ensure credible elections. Somalia aims to hold direct elections based on the principle of “one person, one vote” in the coming years. Preparing accurate voter rolls requires a robust national ID system to prevent duplication and fraud.
Furthermore, remittances from the Somali diaspora are a lifeline for many families, accounting for approximately 25% of GDP. International banks have threatened to cut remittance channels over money laundering concerns partly due to the inability to verify customer identities. Rollout of the new biometric ID system will support Know-Your-Customer requirements and help maintain these vital financial flows.
In summary, Somalia urgently needs to establish a comprehensive, inclusive national identification system to enable digital transformation across all sectors. The national ID card rollout represents a major step in this direction.
Benefits of the National ID System
Implementing the national biometric ID system will catalyze Somalia’s digital transformation and drive economic and social progress in multiple ways:
Enhanced security – Accurately identifying citizens is crucial for national security and preventing terrorism. The biometric database will aid law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
Credible elections – A foundational ID system is necessary for voter registration and preventing fraud. It will pave the way for “one person, one vote” elections.
Establishing legal identity – Providing citizens with official identification will facilitate access to rights, services, and social protections. It will also enable participation in the digital economy.
Streamlined remittances – Biometric ID will support Know-Your-Customer verification by banks and money transfer operators, ensuring the continuity of remittance channels.
Aid administration – Humanitarian agencies can use the national ID database to coordinate aid and cash transfers, reducing duplication and fraud.
Population data for planning – The database will allow the government to gather essential statistics on demographics, public health, education, etc. to inform policy.
Digital governance – A national ID system lays the groundwork for e-government initiatives, digitizing and streamlining public service delivery.
Financial inclusion – Unique IDs for all citizens create opportunities to broaden access to banking, mobile money, and microcredit.
Immigration control – The national ID system can be integrated with border management systems to track cross-border movements and ensure security.
Ease of travel – If integrated with passport data, the national ID system and physical cards could facilitate easier regional travel.
Tax administration – Biometric IDs make it more feasible to expand the tax base by uniquely identifying taxpayers and properties. This will boost domestic revenue.
Overcoming Fragmented Identifications
Previously, Somalia relied on a patchwork of documents and localized ID systems that were limited in scope and coverage. For instance, some federal states issued local ID cards that were not recognized elsewhere.
Somalia also lacked a population register or national ID number. Various donor-led programs issued beneficiary ID cards, but these were mainly used for aid disbursement.
This fragmented landscape was inefficient, prone to duplication and fraud, and made service delivery challenging. It also exposed citizens to exclusion and abuse of their data.
The new national biometric ID system will provide the robust and uniform identification platform needed to overcome these issues. Somalia now has an opportunity to leapfrog into the digital age.
Challenges on the Path to Implementation
While the national ID system marks a new era for Somalia, major challenges remain for its implementation:
- The decrepit civil registration system must be reformed in parallel to record vital events like births. This can provide documentary evidence to obtain national IDs.
- It may be difficult for remote and nomadic communities to enroll in the ID system. Special registration drives may be needed.
- Extremist groups opposed to the government may disrupt ID registration in areas under their influence. Security risks need to be mitigated.
- Somalia’s limited ICT infrastructure has to be enhanced to support the connectivity needs of the biometric ID system.
- Procedures for data protection, privacy rights, and legal oversight/redress have to be strengthened to gain citizen trust and prevent abuse.
- A public awareness campaign is imperative so Somalis understand the benefits of enrolling in the national ID system. Local elders can assist with community outreach.
- Sustainable sources of funding must be secured for both the initial investment and ongoing operations of the ID system.
Opportunities on the Horizon
Somalia’s launch of a modern biometric national ID system powered by a centralized database marks a major milestone on its road to digitization. It overcomes the pitfalls of previous fragmented identification arrangements.
Realizing a fully inclusive identification platform linked to restored civil registries will take time. Near-term priority should be accelerating enrollment for elections, remittances, social programs, and vulnerable groups like youth and displaced populations.
In the long term, integrating the foundational ID system with functional databases and e-services across all sectors will maximize its development impact. With continued political commitment, alongside citizen engagement and international support, Somalia can successfully leverage digital ID to drive its post-conflict nation-building.
In another positive development, Somalia has applied to join the East African Community (EAC) and is undertaking steps to conform with the bloc’s membership criteria. Joining the EAC would boost Somalia’s regional integration and open up new economic opportunities. The national ID system will facilitate the country’s participation in cross-border initiatives like the EAC single tourist visa. Overall, Somalia is poised to reap enormous benefits from its twin digital transformation and regional integration efforts in the coming years.