Gabon launches electronic ID cards after 11-year delay
TLDR
- Gabon launches National Electronic Identity Card (CNIE) after an 11-year hiatus, now available in Libreville with plans to expand issuance countrywide.
- $68.5 million loan agreement with World Bank for "Digital Gabon" project to improve access to legal identity and digital services.
- National ID card to serve as a travel document within the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC).
Gabon has launched its National Electronic Identity Card (CNIE) after an 11-year hiatus since its last ID card issuance. Citizens can now apply for and obtain a national digital ID card, currently issued only in Libreville, with plans to expand issuance to all police stations across the country.
This initiative follows a recently concluded $68.5 million loan agreement between Gabon and the World Bank for the "Digital Gabon" project, aimed at enhancing access to legal identity and specific digital government services within the country.
The government also announced plans to make the national ID card a travel document within the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), an economic and political bloc comprising six Central African countries.
Key Takeaways
Since 2008, a policy has allowed visa-free travel within the CEMAC region for holders of the CEMAC biometric passport, but its implementation has faced significant challenges. Additionally, the digital identity card is valid for essential daily transactions, including banking services and administrative procedures. In 2012, the Gabonese government initiated efforts to establish a biometric national registry to issue secure national ID cards, awarding the project to Thales Digital Identity Security, a French firm. The first national ID cards were issued in 2013, but subsequent delays occurred. A Belgian firm, Semlex, was later contracted to issue the ID cards, but this contract was reportedly terminated. In May 2024, Gabon launched a civil registry issuance campaign in the Libreville region, establishing registration centers for Gabonese citizens to obtain their Numéro d’Identification Personnel (NIP).
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