Africa-Press – Liberia. The directive is part of Liberia’s broader digital transformation initiative, launched on May 1, 2024, aimed at reducing identity fraud and enhancing service delivery.
President Joseph Boakai has signed Executive Order No. 147, making it compulsory for all Liberian citizens and foreign residents to enroll in the National Biometric Identification System (NBIS) as part of a nationwide push for digital transformation and improved national security.
Effective immediately, the order requires any individual residing in Liberia for 90 days or more to obtain either a biometric national ID card (for citizens) or a foreigner ID card (for non-citizens). These ID cards will now serve as the primary means of identification for accessing critical services, including banking, telecommunications, healthcare, education, and immigration.
The directive is part of Liberia’s broader digital transformation initiative, launched on May 1, 2024, aimed at reducing identity fraud, enhancing service delivery, and promoting a digitally integrated national economy.
The National Identification Registry is the designated authority to handle enrollment, ID issuance, and maintenance of the national database. It will also manage the e-verification platform and identity query portal, which public and private institutions must use to verify identities and conduct background checks.
All government ministries, agencies, and commissions, as well as private sector actors such as banks, telecom providers, and insurers, are directed to enforce compliance with the new ID requirement. These institutions must issue internal notices to inform their staff, customers, and stakeholders of the new policy.
Foreign residents must use the foreigner ID card to authenticate their identity when applying for services like SIM card registration and opening bank accounts, in line with existing regulations by the Liberia Telecommunications Authority in partnership with the National Identification Registry.
The order places compliance oversight under the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning and the Liberia Revenue Authority, with the National Identification Registry as the lead implementing agency.
In terms of data protection, the order affirms that all data collection and ID issuance must strictly adhere to the National Identification Registry Act of 2011 and Liberia’s data protection and privacy laws, ensuring secure handling of personal information.
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