After an 11-year gap in its national identity card program, Gabon has introduced the National Electronic Identity Card (CNIE), marking a significant step forward in the country’s digital infrastructure. Gabonese citizens are now eligible to apply for and receive the new digital ID card, which, for the time being, will be issued exclusively in the capital city, Libreville. However, there are plans to extend the service to all police stations nationwide, ensuring broader access to the digital ID.
This advancement follows closely on the heels of Gabon’s successful negotiation of a $68.5 million loan from the World Bank. The loan is earmarked for the “Digital Gabon” initiative, which aims to improve access to legal identity verification and streamline the provision of various digital government services across the country.
The Gabonese government has announced its intention to elevate the status of the national ID card, making it a valid travel document within the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC). This regional bloc consists of six Central African nations that have agreed to economic and political cooperation.
Since 2008, CEMAC has had a policy permitting visa-free travel among its member states for holders of the CEMAC biometric passport. However, the policy’s implementation has faced significant challenges, hindering its effectiveness. The introduction of the CNIE is expected to address some of these issues, facilitating easier movement within the region for Gabonese citizens.
Furthermore, the newly launched digital identity card in Gabon serves a critical role in everyday life, as it is recognized for a wide array of essential transactions. This includes carrying out banking services and navigating through various administrative processes.
In an effort to streamline the distribution of these digital ID cards, Gabon commenced a civil registry issuance campaign in May 2024, specifically targeting the Libreville region. The campaign set up several registration centers to assist Gabonese citizens in acquiring their Numéro d’Identification Personnel (NIP), which is a unique personal identification number essential for the digital identity system.
The Numéro d’Identification Personnel (NIP) is a crucial component required for the functionality of Gabon’s digital identity system, particularly for the Carte Nationale d’Identité Electronique (CNIE), which is the country’s National Electronic Identity Card. This unique identifier is integral to the digital ID card and is essential for citizens to access the full range of services and benefits associated with the CNIE.
In 2012, the Gabonese government initiated a project aimed at creating a biometric national registry, with the objective of distributing secure national ID cards to its citizens. This significant undertaking was entrusted to Thales Digital Identity Security, a company based in France that specializes in digital security solutions.
The first issuance of these national ID cards took place in 2013, marking the commencement of the program. However, the process of distributing the ID cards to the population has experienced setbacks and delays since then. Semlex, a Belgian company, was contracted to handle the issuance of the ID cards. Despite this, reports indicate that the contract with Semlex was eventually terminated, leading to further complications in the rollout of the national ID cards.
During the period of delays and setbacks in the issuance of new national ID cards in Gabon, citizens who had applied for the ID cards were left to rely on the old versions of the cards. Many of these old ID cards have since expired, leaving citizens in a state of limbo regarding their legal identification documents. Additionally, individuals who had applied for the new ID cards but only received an application receipt before the production was halted have been compelled to hold on to these receipts as their only proof of application.
Recent reports indicate that Thales, the French digital security firm, is poised to take over the contract for the national ID card project. Progress is being made as the company is actively working on setting up the necessary equipment and conducting training for the personnel who will operate the system. This development suggests that efforts are being made to resume the production and distribution of the national ID cards, which will replace the old and expired cards and fulfill the pending applications of Gabonese citizens.
