• The Gambia awarded Ghana’s Margins ID Group a contract for its national digital ID system
• Digital IDs support governance and service delivery, but adult ID coverage remains below 70% in much of SSA
• Governance gaps, exclusion risks, and reliance on foreign vendors continue to challenge rollout efforts

Digital identity systems are becoming a core part of Africa’s public infrastructure, as governments expand digital tools to support administration and service delivery. The latest development is The Gambia’s decision to award Ghana’s Margins ID Group a contract to design, build, and operate its National and Integrated Digital ID System. The agreement, announced on Jan. 20, represents an intra-African technology export in the digital ID sector.

Margins brings proven expertise, having partnered with Ghana's National Identification Authority (NIA) to deliver multipurpose smartcards for Ghanaians (Ghana Card) and foreigners (Non-Citizen Ghana Card). According to the group, the move “is a defining moment for the continent as Margins ID Group becomes the first African-owned identity company to successfully export a full-scale national identity ecosystem beyond its home market.”

National identity systems, particularly digital IDs, power governance through efficient service delivery, fraud reduction, and security. They unlock financial inclusion, healthcare continuity, targeted education, and e-government services—yet World Bank data shows Sub-Saharan Africa lagging, with under 60% adult ID coverage in seven economies and below 70% in 13 others.

Across the continent, digital identity is gaining momentum. Nigeria’s National Identity Number has enrolled over 120 million citizens, though challenges remain with integration and public trust. Kenya’s Huduma Namba was a bold attempt at a unified ID, though rollout faced legal and privacy hurdles. South Africa’s Smart ID Card program is advancing digital identity management, with 2026 updates enabling online applications and biometric verification for improved security and service access.

Challenges persist: weak governance frameworks risk biometric data misuse and surveillance concerns. According to the Institute of Development Studies' report Biometric Digital-ID in Africa: Progress and Challenges to Date – Ten Country Case Studies, Biometrics are increasingly integrated into African digital ID systems without sufficient evidence of their necessity or consideration of less intrusive options. Also, despite inclusion rhetoric, these systems often exclude marginalized communities from essential services in practice, the report adds. Heavy reliance on foreign vendors also raises sovereignty concerns.  

Against this backdrop, Margins' Gambia success demonstrates Africa's capacity to build secure digital identity systems by Africans, for Africans—aligning with the AU Digital Transformation Strategy (2020–2030)'s call for data ownership and control to remain with Africans.

Hikmatu Bilali