IDEMIA Smart Identity (www.IDEMIA.com) has renewed its commitment to Nigeria’s National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) by implementing an upgrade of the entire biometric identification system, which will accommodate 250 million records. This project, supported by the World Bank through its ID4D initiative, will ensure that each citizen’s identity in the civil database remains unique.

On February 28, 2024, IDEMIA Smart Identity and NIMC agreed to renew their long-standing collaboration and upgrade NIMC’s biometric system to become the most advanced biometric system in the world, comparable only with Aadhaar in India. The powerful biometric matching system will be able to handle 1 million 1:1 and 1:N identity verification searches per day.

The initial system was designed to support 100 million records but has already reached around 90 million records and requires this extension to address the whole Nigerian population. In context, NIMC is already positioned to achieve the sustainable development goals target set for 2030 by the United Nations, which calls for a legal identity for all by the year 2030.*

In addition, the system upgrade is going to allow NIMC to be compliant with OSIA, an open standard set of interfaces (APIs) that enables seamless connectivity between all components of the identity management ecosystem.

“We are very proud to continue our long-standing collaboration with NIMC for the greater good of Nigeria’s growing population. The new powerful system is future-proof and will ensure that all Nigerians have access to a secured, trusted identity, enabling them to exercise their rights and responsibilities as a citizen. Moreover, this contract, in the most populous country in Africa, demonstrates IDEMIA’s capability to deploy its technologies on a very large scale,” explains Olivier Charlanes, Senior Vice President of Middle East and Africa at IDEMIA Smart Identity.

“Taking this next step in the enhancement of our system with IDEMIA Smart Identity was a natural choice for us. We wanted to ensure that we deliver the best-in-class solution to our fellow Nigerians, and the pure power of the biometric matching we will receive ensures that the solution is future-proof for our growing population,” explains Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, CEO, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and Chairman of the OSIA Advisory Committee.

*United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 16.9: “By 2030, provide legal identity for all, including birth registration.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of IDEMIA Smart Identity.

Press contacts:
Sandra Valerii
sandra.valerii@idemia.com
Press office
idemia@havas.com

About IDEMIA Group:
IDEMIA Group unlocks simpler and safer ways to pay, connect, access, identify, travel, and protect public places. With its long-standing expertise in biometrics and cryptography, IDEMIA develops technologies of excellence with an impactful, ethical, and socially responsible approach. Every day, IDEMIA secures billions of interactions in the physical and digital worlds. IDEMIA Group brings together three market-leading businesses that enable mission-critical solutions:

IDEMIA Secure Transactions is the leading technology provider who unlocks safer and easier ways to pay and connect.
IDEMIA Public Security is a leading global provider of biometric solutions that unlock convenient and secure travel, access, and protection.
IDEMIA Smart Identity leverages the power of cryptographic and biometric technologies to unlock a single trusted identity for all.

With a global team of nearly 15,000 employees, IDEMIA Group is trusted by over 600 governmental organizations and more than 2,400 enterprises in over 180 countries.

For more information, visit www.IDEMIA.com and follow @IDEMIAGroup on X.

Yesterday, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, concluded his trip to Benin, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda. During his trip, he reaffirmed Canada’s engagement in Africa, particularly in support of empowering women and girls, increasing green economic growth and ensuring a more prosperous world for all.  

In Benin, Minister Hussen, with Kouaro Yves Chabi, Minister of Secondary and Technical Education and Vocational Training, visited a vocational centre supported by My Training, My Job, My Future, a project implemented by Éducation Internationale [international education], a Canadian partner. At the centre, he met project beneficiaries and learned about the challenges of vocational training and socio-professional integration.  

Minister Hussen also visited the Canada-funded Centre for the Integrated Care of Victims of Gender-Based Violence, which is supported by UNICEF as part of its project Accelerating the Elimination of Gender-Based Violence Against Girls and Adolescent in Benin, and discussed the challenges of eliminating gender-based violence, a shared priority for Benin and Canada.

He concluded his visit to Benin by meeting Romuald Wadagni, Minister of Economy and Finance, Senior Minister also responsible for Cooperation, and Olushegun Adjadi Bakari, Minister of Foreign Affairs, on bilateral and multilateral trade and development issues. He also met with representatives of the UN, World Bank and African Development Bank to exchange views on key development issues and with representatives of civil society organizations (CSOs) to discuss advancing human dignity, equality, and inclusion. Finally, Minister Hussen had meetings with Médessè Véronique Tognifode Mewanou, Minister of Social Affairs and Microfinance, and Benjamin Hounkpatin, Minister of Health, to discuss Benin’s key challenges and needs in these sectors.

In the DRC, Minister Hussen began in the capital Kinshasa, visiting the project Talents Pluriels [plural talents], a project implemented by Cuso International that demonstrates how Canada’s investments are supporting the DRC’s most vulnerable youths in improving their livelihoods through employment and entrepreneurship. He also met with women electoral candidates supported by Women’s Voice and Leadership, a project implemented by The Carter Center.  

He visited the Community Learning Centers for Women and Girls project, in the Kongo Central province, where he met young women and girls receiving literacy and vocational training. Susila Dharma Canada and Susila Dharma Congo are implementing this project.  

Minister Hussen also met with Bintou Keita, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the DRC and Head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC, to discuss the security and humanitarian situation in the country. Finally, during meetings with Félix Tshisekedi, President of the DRC, and Christophe Lutundula Apala, the DRC’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister Hussen discussed opportunities for collaboration between Canada and the DRC.   

He concluded his trip in Kigali, Rwanda, where he attended the 30th commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsi. He grieved for all the lives lost, reflected on the bravery of all those who risked their lives to save others during this dark time and found inspiration in the resilient spirit of those who have survived and persevered.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Government of Canada.

High Commissioner of Malaysia Rus Shazila Osman had fruitful discussions with the Minister of Public Enterprises of South Africa, H.E. Mr. Pravin Gordhan on 8 April 2024 on matters of mutual interest.

Also present were DENEL Group CEO, Mr. Tsepo Monaheng and Department of Public Enterprises Director General, Ms. Jacky Molisane. From the High Commission were Defence Advisor Col. Ishak Ujang and Minister Counsellor Yap Wei Sin.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Malaysia.

Increased private consumption and declining inflation are supporting an economic rebound in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, the recovery remains fragile due to uncertain global economic conditions, growing debt service obligations, frequent natural disasters, and escalating conflict and violence, according to the World Bank’s latest Africa’s Pulse report. Transformative policies are needed to address deep-rooted inequality to sustain long-term growth and effectively reduce poverty.

The report projects that growth will rebound in 2024, rising from a low of 2.6 percent in 2023 to 3.4 percent in 2024, and 3.8 percent in 2025. However, this recovery remains tenuous. While inflation is cooling across most economies, falling from a median of 7.1 to 5.1 percent in 2024, it remains high compared to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. Additionally, while growth of public debt is slowing, more than half of African governments grapple with external liquidity problems, and face unsustainable debt burdens.

Overall, the report underscores that despite the projected boost in growth, the pace of economic expansion in the region remains below the growth rate of the previous decade (2000-2014) and is insufficient to have a significant effect on poverty reduction. Moreover, due to multiple factors including structural inequality, economic growth reduces poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa less than in other regions.

“Per capita GDP growth of 1 percent is associated with a reduction in the extreme poverty rate of only about 1 percent in the region, compared to 2.5 percent on average in the rest of the world,” said Andrew Dabalen, World Bank Chief Economist for Africa. “In a context of constrained government budgets, faster poverty reduction will not be achieved through fiscal policy alone. It needs to be supported by policies that expand the productive capacity of the private sector to create more and better jobs for all segments of society.”

The report highlights that external resources to meet gross financing needs of African governments are shrinking and those available are costlier than they were prior to the pandemic. Political instability and geopolitical tensions weigh on economic activity and may constrain access to food for an estimated 105 million people at risk of food insecurity due to conflict and climate shocks. African governments’ fiscal positions remain vulnerable to global economic disruptions, necessitating policy actions to build buffers to prevent or cope with future shocks.

What’s more, inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa remains one of the highest in the world, second only to the Latin America and Caribbean region, as measured by the region’s average Gini coefficient. Access to basic services, such as schooling or healthcare, remains highly unequal despite recent improvements. Disparities also exist in access to markets and income-generating activities, irrespective of people’s skills. Taxes and poorly targeted subsidies may also have an outsized impact on the poor.

“Inequality in Africa is largely due to the circumstances in which a child is born and accentuated later in life by obstacles to participating productively in markets and regressive fiscal policies,” said Gabriela Inchauste co-author of a forthcoming World Bank report on tackling inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa. “Identifying and better addressing these structural constraints across the economy offers a road map for a more prosperous future.”

Africa’s Pulse calls for several policy actions to foster stronger and more equitable growth. These include restoring macro-economic stability, promoting inter-generational mobility, supporting market access, and ensuring that fiscal policies do not overburden the poor.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.