Physical and social divides hamper universal national digital identity goals

A national ID by definition should include all eligible nationals. But as countries move towards national digital ID it can be a challenge to get citizens who live in more remote and rural areas identified and credentialed. And not all barriers are physical.

The rural divide

A real-world example comes from Nigeria. A large developing country with an estimated total population of more than 236 million, any bureaucracy would need a sophisticated logistical plan to get all eligible individuals enrolled. So far, Nigeria has issued 115 million national digital IDs.

But millions of Nigerians in rural areas still lack their national identification number, according to a report by SaharaReporters. Traveling to remote and rural parts of the West African country, the publication’s reporters found individuals who didn’t know about NIN (National Identification Number) and who pointed out the lack of government presence in these areas.

“We don’t even know where their center is in Kubwa here,” said one Madam Danladi, as quoted by SaharaReporters. “We don’t have police station, no hospital, no government’s presence at all.”

Such areas may not have good mobile coverage or lack Internet access, which means people must travel to other areas to enroll. But lack of funds, and lack of knowledge about NIN, can hinder enrollment. In Nigeria, the NIN is a compulsory registration from age 16. As of November 115 million Nigerians are said to have their NIN, according to the National Identity Management Commission.

SaharaReporters noted that many rural residents have been victims of fraud and extortion after being charged to pay for NIN, or to change NIN details, due to a paucity of knowledge about processes.

Social obstacles

In Brazil meanwhile, tech policy analyst and lecturer at Data Privacy Brasil, Maria Luciano, has highlighted the need for inclusion and care within the country’s digital ID system. For example, Luciano pointed to research by ethnographers and journalists on the reluctance by some Brazilians to become documented due to the shame they feel.

“Mani Tebet Marins describes many cases where ‘even though she was clearly facing economic hardships, she chose not to apply for the benefit precisely to avoid possible humiliation and prejudice from State representatives,” Luciano writes, citing ethnographic research on Bolsa Familia by Marins.

The lecturer and analyst pointed to a 2023 survey carried out by the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee, which found that 60 percent of Brazilians are either “concerned” or “very concerned” about having to give away their biometric data, especially to financial institutions and government agencies.

Luciano proposes the ethics of care as a “people-centered” and holistic approach to digital policies and to attempt to avoid perpetuating patterns of inequality. “After all, before accessing these [digital] systems and becoming ‘users’,” she writes, “individuals may need to overcome obstacles such as the cost and time required to travel to a computer, device, or internet access point or even arrange childcare to be able to do so.”

At the end of her essay, Luciano highlights examples of societal empowerment, such as Bogota’s “care blocks”, which offer services like legal and psychosocial assistance, professional training and recreation, and emphasizes the need for inclusive and participatory governance models.

“The path to efficient digital policies – both in quality and scale of adoption – relies on social participation and care,” she writes.

While the conceptual framework proposed by Luciano relating to DPI is clearly of use, the case of rural communities in Nigeria show there exist real practical and logistical challenges. A webinar on “How to build digital credentials that work for all” may help however. Hosted by Global Government Forum, the webinar will look at how governments can develop digital credentials in a way that is inclusive and effective across all the different layers of government. Interested parties can register here.

Article Topics

Brazil  |  digital identity  |  digital inclusion  |  legal identity  |  national ID  |  National Identity Number (NIN)  |  Nigeria