Integrated Biometrics fingerprint scanners facilitate digital ID for inclusion in Ethiopia

Kojak fingerprint scanners from Integrated Biometrics are playing a major role in the enrollment of citizens for Ethiopia’s Fayda digital ID, in a move that is advancing digital inclusion of the country’s total population.

Since 2023, Ethiopia has been implementing the Digital ID for Inclusion and Services Project with funding from the World Bank.

More than 30 million people have so far been registered for the ID initiative, with a plan by the Ethiopia National Identity Program (NIDP) to reach 90 million people by the end of 2027. Over 90 agencies have also integrated their services with the digital ID system, making identity verification and authentication easier.

Integrated Biometrics is one of the technology partners supporting the project, and the U.S. firm says in a case study that NIDP is using its Kojak scanner for fingerprint capture during identity enrollment. The scanner is MOSIP-compliant.

“This lightweight scanner (725 grams) rapidly collects prints from dry fingers and can operate in direct sunlight and extreme temperatures. With very low power consumption, the registration kit can operate for lengthy periods of time without an electrical connection,” the company writes, adding that to reach NIDP’s enrollment target, the durability of Kojak scanners, “which exceeds US military standards, is critical.”

The case study recalls the challenges Ethiopians faced having to access public services without a legal or digital identity in the past. It notes that the Fayda digital ID does not only facilitate access to a wide range of services, but is also an important tool to support Ethiopia’s 2030 digital transformation strategy and digital economy growth.

The characteristics of the scanners, according to Integrated Biometrics, is contributing to the success rate of Fayda enrollment as it makes it possible for NIDP to “enroll participants as close as possible to their homes, increasing the likelihood of successful registration.”

Efforts are also being multiplied by the government to make sure the national digital ID is issued to refugees to give them a sense of inclusion in the Ethiopian society, something the UNHCR lauded early this year.

With the Fayda digital ID, Ethiopians now easily have access to a wide range of services from public institutions and the private sector.

In the capital Addis Ababa, the Fayda has been linked with the city’s residency card system, which means that residents no longer need to submit biometrics anew when applying for a residency card, according to Addis Fortune.

There’s also a policy from the country’s central bank for all commercial banks in the country to integrate customer accounts with their Fayda ID details, and the official deadline for the directive to be fully complied with is March 30.

Article Topics

biometric enrollment  |  biometrics  |  Digital Ethiopia 2030  |  digital ID  |  digital inclusion  |  Ethiopia  |  Ethiopia National ID Program (NIDP)  |  Fayda  |  fingerprint biometrics  |  Integrated Biometrics