Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia has registered more than 1.5 million citizens since 2023 under its national identification program, with authorities aiming to enroll 15 million citizens and residents by 2029.
Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation Minister Ali Yusuf Ali Hoosh announced the figures Saturday at a Mogadishu event marking World ID Day, saying the country had moved past the era of operating without a formal national identification system.
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Ali Hoosh said Somalia now has a dedicated agency overseeing citizen registration, along with a modern national ID system.
“The government’s plan is to extend national identification to every Somali citizen, with special priority given to persons with disabilities and displaced communities,” he said.
The minister also stressed the need to protect personal information, saying government bodies and private companies alike must safeguard data collected through the national identification system.
He said national identification would make it easier for citizens to access essential services, including travel and a range of public and private-sector services.
Ali Hoosh appealed to Somalis who have not yet received a national ID card to register, noting that the card is issued free of charge inside Somalia.
He further urged government institutions, federal member states, district administrations, civil society organizations, religious scholars, young people, women and media outlets to promote awareness and help ensure that every Somali receives information about the national ID program.
The minister said Somali embassies abroad would soon begin issuing national identification services.
Somalia launched its first digital national ID system, known as eAqoonsi, in September 2023 through NIRA, bringing an end to more than three decades without a unified national identity infrastructure.
