Benin envisages mobile wallet launch in inclusive national digital ID push

Benin has mentioned plans of launching a digital wallet as part of its push to make its national digital ID ecosystem more inclusive and serviceable to citizens and residents.

The West African nation has already laid a solid foundation for this move with more than 20 years of efforts setting up the right template for an efficient national ID system, the Director General of the National Agency for the Identification of Persons (ANIP), Aristide Guy Adjinacou, said while discussing the country’s ID progress at the ID4Africa AGM last month.

“We have developed most of the essential modules of our digital architecture, but one major component, which is a mobile wallet, is still missing. We want to place in the hands of every citizen a secure mobile tool to enable them store and present credentials and to access public and private services,” Adjinacou said.

“This is our next challenge, and we plan to achieve it by the end of next year. This initiative is a core element of our inclusivity strategy,” the official mentioned.

Mobile wallets are increasingly considered as major enabler of inclusive digital ID systems.

Very high national ID coverage rate

Adjinacou’s presentation painted the picture of a country which is highly covered by national digital ID, thanks to a combination of factors such as strategic legislative reforms driven by strong political will, and the integration of birth registration and national identity management services under one coordinating body.

“Our transformation began over 20 years ago, but the real turning point came in 2016 with the arrival of a new president and government, which made the structural transformation of our economy a national priority,” the ANIP official said.

“In 2017, we enacted the Identification Law, which introduced a unique personal identifier for every individual, whether residing in Benin, abroad, or as a foreign resident. This law also established the National Agency for the Identification of Persons.”

He explained that thanks to the new legal framework, they were able to enroll more than 10 million individuals in just six months, collecting biometric data and key demographic information.

“However, we soon realized this was insufficient to achieve true inclusivity. Millions of people lacked birth certificates or possessed irregular documents. To address this, a new law was introduced, enabling us to provide legal identity to these individuals,” he disclosed, noting that the decision paid off handsomely.

“Today, the number of individuals registered in our national personal register covers nearly 98 percent of the population. More than 10 million identity documents have been issued. We currently process close to 200,000 biometric authentications per day, thanks to collaboration with mobile operators.”

“Our register is connected to more than 80 public and private institutions, including banks and telecom operators. This success is no accident, it is the result of deliberate strategy and strong foundations,” Adjinacou stated, mentioning that the foundation was able to stand on four major pillars, namely skilled people including Beninese they hired from abroad, clear principles and procedures, the right technology, and infrastructure.

Integration of AI into ID services

As Benin looks to expand its digital ID and integrate it with many more public and private sector services, Adjinacou says they believe AI is key to that endeavour. They are using AI systems to gather information on citizen satisfaction regarding their services, take data-driven decisions, ensure operational automation and strategic insights.

Adjinacou says as they move forward in the hope of reaching the rest of Benin’s population with a digital ID, they are conscious of the challenges ahead.

“Reaching the remaining two percent of the population is one of the most difficult tasks. These last-mile communities each have unique characteristics and needs, and we must tailor our approach accordingly,” he said.

“Other major challenges include cybersecurity, data protection, and regional integration. We are currently working with Smart Africa, the World Bank, and WURI to build a cross-border trust framework that supports identity sharing. Sustainability is another critical focus. We continuously work to ensure that our model remains viable in the long term.”

“With political will, a clear vision, pragmatic reforms, and effective execution, it is possible to build a trusted, inclusive identity system. Our goal is to provide a legal identity to every citizen in Benin by 2028, two years ahead of the global 2030 target.”

Article Topics

Africa  |  Benin  |  biometrics  |  civil registration  |  digital ID  |  digital wallets  |  ID4Africa  |  ID4Africa 2025  |  identity management  |  legal identity  |  National Agency for the Identification of Persons (ANIP)