Liberia reaffirms her commitment to building a reliable and inclusive identification system when the country joined the global community in commemorating National Identification Day on September 16, 2024 at the Monrovia City Hall.
Celebrated under the theme “Celebrating the Right to Be Visible,” the event which was organized by the National Identification Registry (NIR) brought together key stakeholders, government officials, and international partners.
The celebration was against the backdrop that Liberia, as a member of the comity of nations, continues its to progress toward a more inclusive and reliable identification system, considering that the National Identification Day served as a powerful reminder of the vital role identity plays in empowering individuals and fostering national development.
Through the collaborative efforts of the NIR and its partners, Liberia is making significant strides toward ensuring that every citizen is seen, recognized, and able to participate fully in the nation’s socio-economic development.
Accordingly, the keynote address of the delivered by Hon. Josiah F. Joekai, Jr., Director-General of the Civil Service Agency (CSA), who represented His Excellency President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. In his address, Director Jokai emphasized the transformative role identification plays in Liberia’s growth and development.
“History,” he said, “has shown us that identity plays a crucial role in the development of any country, and added, “For Liberia, the importance of identification cannot be overstated.”
Liberia’s journey towards a robust national identification system has been marked by key milestones, particularly with the establishment of the NIR. The NIR, in collaboration with developmental partners, and international organizations, has been working to ensure that every citizen and resident is registered in a secure and comprehensive database featuring the country’s strata of the country’s citizen.
The system is designed to improve service delivery, enhance national security, and promote financial inclusion for all Liberians.
The CSDA boss, speaking on behalf of President Boakai,, stressed the benefits of a reliable identification system, not only for individuals but for the government as well. He explained that with such a system, Liberia would be better equipped to provide social services, plan development programs, and identify security risks.
“With a reliable identification system, we can ensure that every Liberian has access to basic social services and financial inclusion,” he said asserted.
The NIR’s efforts to create a legal identity for all citizens align with the global vision outlined in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 16.9, which seeks to provide legal identity for everyone by 2030.
Mr. Joekai called for continuous support from Liberia’s development partners, highlighting the importance of international collaboration in achieving this goal. “We cannot achieve the goal of a reliable identification system without the support and cooperation of our development partners,” he further noted.
He then underscored the government’s commitment to ensuring that the national identification system respects privacy and human rights, and emphasized that as Liberia moves toward digitizing its identification processes, protecting citizens’ data and maintaining privacy standards will be top priorities.
Additional to the keynote address, the program featured the certification of NIR ID ambassadors, and special remarks made by prominent figures, including Hon. Andrew Peters, Executive Director of the NIR; Hon. Richard F. Ngafuan, Director-General of the Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) and Co-Chair of the NIR Board; and Hon. Crayton Duncan, Senator of Sinoe County.
Each of these dignitaries reiterated the significance of a functional identification system and its potential to drive national progress.
The event concluded with a call for continuous support from all stakeholders to ensure that Liberia remains on track to achieving universal legal identity.
Speaking earlier, the Executive Director of the National Identification Registry, Mr. Andrew Peters, welcomed the audience at the programme commemorating the National Program Identification Day-2024, defining the essence of Global ID Day as one intended to raise worldwide awareness about the importance of unique identity and to bring to international attention, the plight of millions of people who do not have legal identity.
According to Mr. Peters, people in such category do not belong to any country legally because of several reasons some of which have legal bearings, some political undertone and others social. “People have the right to be seen, to be recognized that they exist, so that they get included, and involved,” Mr. Peters indicated, adding that their voices can be heard on the issues and decisions that concern them.
The NIR boss noted that it is their fundamental right to be identified and heard, pointing out that this is the reason why the UN has set 2030 as the target date for everyone to legally belong to a place that they can call their own.”
As we witness and participate in this defining moment of our nation joining other nations around the world to celebrate Identity Day, the NIR Executive Director briefly shed with the audience some of the important benefits of having a secure National Biometric Identification system, which he said include efficient Public Service Delivery: The NBIS will create a centralized database of citizens and residents, streamlining access to public services such as healthcare, education, and social welfare. This efficiency reduces bureaucracy and ensures timely service delivery.
He name other benefits to include enhanced Security and Law Enforcement which embraces accurately identifying individuals, saying that the NBIS helps law enforcement agencies prevent and investigate crimes and also aids in tracking down criminals and managing security threats more effectively.
Besides, he points to financial inclusion noting that the NBIS will facilitate financial services by providing a reliable means of identification. Citizens can open bank accounts, access credit, and participate in formal financial systems, contributing to economic growth.
Other benefits of national identification are access to Social Benefits: With a unique Identification number, individuals can access social benefits, subsidies, and relief programs more efficiently; which includes pensions, healthcare, and other government assistance; E-Government Services whereby the NBIS will enable digital governance by linking to various e-government citizens’ data platforms. Online services related to taxes, licenses, and permits become more accessible and improved Electoral Processes which accounts for accurate identification ensures fair and transparent elections.
Saying the NBIS helps prevent voter fraud and ensures that eligible citizens can exercise their right to vote, Mr. Peters added National Planning and Development – meaning data from the NBIS informs policy decisions, resource allocation, and development planning which aids in understanding population demographics and trends.
V In summary, the NIR boss said the National Biometry Identification System promotes efficiency, security, and inclusion, benefiting both individuals and the nation as a whole.
“It is therefore my hope s that the National Identification Registry will get all the support from the government of Liberia and our development partners to finance the National Roadmap, a framework document designed to enroll all citizens and foreign residents into our national biometric system thereby giving them the right to be visible,” the NIR executive director added, estimating the budget for the Roadmap at US$36million.”
Comments are closed.