Lagos to Mombasa: How Can Digital ID Be Harnessed for Development?

 
The scope and sophistication of ID systems have advanced remarkably in the last 20 years, with over 60 developing countries establishing national ID programs. And digital technologies, such as biometrics, have dramatically expanded the capabilities of these programs.

How can these technologies be harnessed to advance development agendas?

In this episode Dr. Joseph Atick, Executive Chairman of ID4Africa, and Alan Gelb, CGD Senior Fellow, join Gyude to discuss the evolution of ID systems across Africa, the benefits and risks of digital ID systems, and what African governments can learn from countries like India about what works and what doesn’t.

Resources:

• Citizens and States: How Can Digital ID and Payments Improve State Capacity and Effectiveness?, CGD
• Digital Technology in Social Assistance Transfer for COVID-19 Relief: Lessons from Selected Cases, CGD
• ID4Africa
• ID4Africa LiveCasts
• Identification for Development: The Biometrics Revolution, CGD
• Identification Revolution: Can Digital ID Be Harnessed for Development?, Brookings
• Principles on Identification for Sustainable Development: Toward the Digital Age, World Bank
• The Role of Identification in the Post-2015 Development Agenda, World Bank