By Festus Poquie and E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor
Pushing for digital transformation, the Liberian government is rapidly expanding the country’s national identification system, with the goal of registering 4.2 million citizens by partnering with mobile network operators.
In an exclusive interview, Abdullah Kamara, the Acting Chairman of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), outlined the government’s plans to ease transactions, boost security, and combat crime through a modernized ID card system.
The LTA, along with the National Identification Registry (NIR), is targeting 4.2 million people to be logged into the ID Card system, Kamara told the Oracle News Daily.
“This is a crucial step in Liberia’s digital migration drive.”
Under a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be signed on Thursday, mobile network operators will leverage their technology and infrastructure to streamline the nationwide registration process.
“One point of verification and identity for citizens and foreigners will be the National Identification Registry database,” Kamara explained.
“The LTA, as the driver of the digital transformation project, has decided to partner with the NIR to implement a single registration process.”
Currently, Liberia’s population stands at 5.5 million, but the NIR has only registered a little over 500,000 people. In contrast, the country’s mobile network operators already have 4.2 million subscribers.
“This presents a significant opportunity for us to assist the NIR in reaching the unregistered population,” Kamara said. “We will be requiring the service providers to participate in a nationwide rollout of the ID card system.”
The new initiative aims to bring government services closer to the people, improving access and reducing the potential for fraud or terrorism.
“Some of the key benefits of the digital transformation include making government services more accessible and secure,” Kamara added.
“The national ID card will be a crucial tool in our fight against terrorism and crimes.”
With the LTA and NIR’s ambitious goal of registering 4.2 million Liberians, the country’s digital transformation seems poised to transform the way citizens interact with the government and access essential services.
