Addis Ababa — Ethiopia reaffirmed its commitment to demonstrating the role of digital identity in empowering citizens, enhancing access to essential services, and contributing to economic growth.
The National ID Program announced today a series of events celebrating the 2024 International Identity Day, celebrated globally on September 16 under the theme "Celebrating the Right to Be Visible."
This year's theme underscores the critical importance of inclusive identity systems that empower individuals and communities, the National ID Program said in a press release.
"Having an identity is not just a human right, it is essential to access services, protect our rights, and fully participate in the social and economic arenas. Everyone deserves an identity. Everyone deserves the right to be visible," it added.
Thus, from September 13th to 20th, the National ID Program will host various activities, including a High Level Webinar Series in collaboration with the Office of the Prime Minister and Government Communications Service, alongside the ID Day 2024 celebrations and Fayda mass registration in key locations across the country.
The initiative aims to raise awareness about the significance of an inclusive digital identity system in fostering effective governance, enhancing security, promoting social inclusion, and improving access to essential services.
One of the highlights of the celebration will be a High Level Webinar Series, where distinguished experts from key global organizations such as ID4Africa and the World Bank along with the Ministry of Innovation and Technology and National Bank of Ethiopia, will be sharing insights on the role of Identity in Transforming Governance through Digitization.
To further engage communities, digital screens will be set up in major city locations promoting Ethiopia's flagship project Fayda Digital ID and city wide tour and promotions to encourage residents to register for Fayda which has so far issued Digital IDs to close to 10 million residents nationwide.
The Identity Day (ID Day) Campaign seeks to establish September 16 as a globally recognized day to highlight the fundamental importance of having robust and verifiable proof of identity.
This campaign addresses the critical need for a commemorative day for identity, reflecting its status as a fundamental human right and a practical necessity in today's digital era.
The date, September 16 (16.9), symbolically references UN Sustainable Development Goal 16.9, which aims to provide legal identity, including birth registration, to all individuals by 2030.
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ID Day raises awareness about the alarming reality that approximately 850 million people worldwide, most of whom reside in Africa, lack any form of official identification. The same holds true for 40 percent of Ethiopians.
This highlights the urgent need for full inclusion, according to a press release issued by the National ID Program. It also serves as a reminder for those with identification to have access to secure ID thereby having an easier, digital and faster access to services while safeguarding their privacy.
By celebrating ID Day, Ethiopia reaffirms its commitment to demonstrating the role of digital identity in empowering citizens, enhancing access to essential services, and contributing to economic growth, the National ID Program affirmed in its press release.
The country's advancements in digital identity, exemplified by the Fayda ID, positions Ethiopia as a leader in Africa's digital transformation, it concluded.
