Liberia Plans Nationwide Same-Day National ID Service, Seeks US$39 Million for Rollout

Paynesville City, Liberia: Liberians could eventually register and receive their national identification cards without travelling to Monrovia under a US$39 million modernization plan being pursued by the National Identification Registry.

The proposal would establish identification centers in different parts of the country where applicants’ personal and biometric information could be recorded and their cards produced immediately.

NIR Executive Director Andrew Peter announced the plan Monday on the Liberia Broadcasting System’s Super Morning Show. He said the Registry wants to replace its current technology and move identification services closer to the population.

“We want citizens to have their data collected and their cards printed at designated centers across the country,” Peter said, explaining that the project would make enrollment easier and reduce delays.

The US$39 million price tag includes new information and communications technology equipment, operational systems and personnel to manage the expanded service.

Peter said the plan emerged from consultations on how to restructure the Registry and correct weaknesses affecting the country’s identification program. The agency has since asked the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning to assist in mobilizing the required funding.

No implementation date has been announced, and it remains unclear whether the government has approved the proposed amount.

If funded, the project could give the government a broader and more accurate national database for planning, revenue collection, security and the delivery of public services.

The plan also targets one of the major complaints surrounding the national ID program: the difficulty citizens outside Monrovia face in registering and obtaining their cards.