Ethiopia’s Nat’l ID Program secures $350M in donor funding

Addis Ababa, December 14, 2023 (FBC) – National ID Program (NIDP), Ethiopia’s Fayda ID digital identity, has been granted US$350 in funding to supplement its public investment, Mr. Abenezer Feleke, head of NIDP, told Fana Broadcasting Corporate.

Mr. Abenezer, in an exclusive interview with FBC’s Melaku Gedif, underscored that digital ID has a significant contribution to advance and digitize the operation of service providers.

The latest donor funding was secured from the World Bank group in a short period owing to the Office of the Prime Minister’s critical role, the NIDP chief underlined. He also extended his gratitude to other stakeholder institutions for their contribution in realizing the financial funding from WBG.

Abenezer emphasized that the fund will be instrumental to roll out digital ID for over 90 million citizens throughout the country.

According to the Director, this financial support will be implemented over a period of five years, which is important for the development of the digital economy in Ethiopia.

He explained that the digital ID system will enable the establishment of a comprehensive, consistent and reliable system for registering the residents in Ethiopia.

The digital identification system will be instrumental in establishing transparency and accountability system and streamlined service delivery system, Abenezer indicated.

The Director also thanked the World Bank Group for its funding in understanding the importance of digital ID system for Ethiopia.