Not all African countries require their citizens to carry a national identity card, but the number is rapidly increasing. ECOWAS Member States have committed to introduce a common-form biometric identity card by 2017. The introduction of these new systems may be based on concerns for national security or to improve delivery of public services: but for these aims to be achieved, law and procedures must ensure that people are not arbitrarily excluded from acquiring these documents.
Every citizen should have the right to a passport, enabling international travel, which should not be removed except following due process of law (for example, from a person accused of a serious crime).
Only some African countries establish an independent judicial procedure for a person to obtain a “certificate of nationality” or alternative document that is conclusive proof that a person is a national.
By Kirera Mwiti A group of Senators and MPs have called on new legislation to address the rising number of stateless persons in the country. The lawmakers called on the government to ease the process of acquiring an ID noting…
Executive Summary In today’s digital age, robust, inclusive, and responsible civil registration and identification systems play important roles in providing citizens with a legal identity and generating vital and demographic statistics. Universal coverage of these systems improves the accessibility, integrity,…
By John Wanjohi The Immigration Department has defended the tough passport renewal requirements following protests by Kenyans on social media. Immigration Director-General Alexander Muteshi says the stringent rules for applicants seeking new digital passports are meant to ensure compliance with…
BY PATRICK EBONG. The National Identification and Registration Authority plans to register and issue National Identity cards to three million people at the beginning of the New Year countrywide. Sam Okello, the Lira District registrar says the exercise will be…
Joshua Odeyemi The Federal Government has warned Nigerians to enroll for the National Identity Number (NIN) to avoid falling into stateless situation. The Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau gave this warning in Abuja on Friday, at the opening ceremony of…
Decision No. 002/2018; adopted at the 31st Ordinary Session of the ACERWC, May 2018; published 29 November 2018. IV: Decision of the Committee 104. For the foregoing reasons, the Committee finds that the Respondent State is in violation of its…
Botul and her four children are members of Kenya’s Nubian community. Despite the fact that Nubians are Kenyan citizens, these Muslim-majority ethnic and tribal groups are forced to undergo a lengthy and discriminatory vetting process to obtain the identity documents…
Addis Ababa, 18 November 2018 (ECA) – The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Omidyar Network have announced a partnership to establish legal digital identities in Africa. The partnership, will go towards ECA’s support to the African Union Commission…
By Bronwen Manby Key findings and recommendations Extent of statelessness It is not possible to establish the number of stateless persons in the Partner States of the East African Community (EAC), but it is clear that there are tens of…
Mr Aliyu Aziz, Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), says 33 million Nigerians have enrolled for the National Identification Number (NIN). Aziz said on Monday said that the commission had stepped up its strategy to fast-track the enrolment…