Monrovia — The Executive Director of the National Identification Registry (NIR), Andrew Peters, has revealed that only 723,000 of Liberia's 5.2 million people have been enrolled in the Registry's database. He attributes this low figure to the actions of several government institutions that have been issuing their own identification numbers to individuals, allegedly undermining the NIR's efforts.
In an exclusive interview with The Liberian Investigator on Sunday, August 11, 2024, Peters stated that the 723,000 registered includes both citizens and foreign residents in Liberia, representing just 14% of the country's population. He noted that when he assumed leadership, the NIR had registered over 6,000 individuals, a mere 13% of the population, but he has since increased this number to 723,000. However, he described this figure as unacceptably low.
Peters blamed the slow registration on certain government institutions that are reportedly bypassing the NIR by issuing identification numbers to individuals. This practice, he claimed, not only creates losses for banks but also heightens security risks across the country.
"You have 5.2 million people, and all of them are supposed to be in the database. If this doesn't happen, as we are currently experiencing, how can we account for them?" Peters emphasized.
He explained that if all individuals were properly registered with the NIR, national security agencies could more easily trace criminals, banking institutions could identify fraudsters, and ministries such as Foreign Affairs and Transport could access comprehensive data on any person through the "e-verification platform."
Peters expressed frustration that some government ministries, agencies, and commissions are not collaborating with the NIR because they mistakenly believe that the Registry's efforts, which are crucial for establishing a unified identification system, threaten their jobs. As a result, these institutions continue to issue their own identification numbers.
However, Peters highlighted that the Civil Service Agency (CSA) and the Ministry of Health are currently cooperating with the NIR. He mentioned that a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with the CSA, mandating that all government employees must have a national identification number before being placed on the payroll.
Peters announced that on October 16, 2024, the NIR would publicly disclose the names of all non-compliant government ministries, agencies, and commissions.
He stressed the importance of a national identification system in Liberia, which aims to assign a unique identification number to each resident and citizen. According to Peters, various government bodies, as well as schools, have been overly protective of their services by issuing their own identification numbers, thereby disregarding the NIR's mandate.
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"For example, if you want to obtain a driver's license, the Ministry of Transport should first confirm the applicant's nationality--whether they are Liberian or a foreign resident--before the NIR issues a unique identification number," Peters explained.
He said that many government institutions have misunderstood the NIR's exclusive role in issuing these numbers, mistakenly viewing it as a threat to their jobs. Peters clarified that the NIR's mission is not to eliminate jobs but to ensure that all services provided by any government institution require the national identification number as a prerequisite.
Peters urged non-compliant institutions to adhere to the NIR's mandate, emphasizing that doing so would save the government and banking institutions substantial amounts of money and enhance national security.
