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| | | | Welcome to the eleventh edition
of the CERTIZENS Newsletter. | |
| | | | | | | As always, this is just a small snapshot of selected academic
engagements with and media coverage of the ever-shifting policies, politics and
practices of citizen identification and registration across the African
continent, and their diverse effects. While there are so many important and
fast-moving changes to consider, we've chosen in this issue to give
particular attention to news on Nigeria, as it faces local criticism and scepticism
over the introduction of yet another national ID system that it claims to be
‘one of the most advanced ID systems in the world'. Additionally in this
issue, we are delighted to feature insights, personal reflections and creative
outputs emerging from the individual fieldwork of three of our current MA/MPhil
team members, two based in Ghana and one in Uganda.
We hope you enjoy this offering
and continue to welcome your inputs in any of the sections we include.
Amanda Hammar,
CERTIZENS Project Leader
Copenhagen, August 2024
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|  | | | | Photo: Gifty Louisa Cobbinah | | | | |
| CERTIZENS MPhil student Gifty Lousia Cobbinah shares her fieldwork experiences in a poem | |
| | | | During her fieldwork with head porters in Accra Central Market, Gifty Louisa Cobbinah researched their particular experiences of citizen registration, their perception of themselves as citizens with or without rights, their relation to the state and how all of this impacts the lives of these young women.
She says that "While the rules of writing in academic research are binding, in a poet's world, there are boundless possibilities of expression. Feeling an emotional connection to my participants, I believed a poem would be an appropriate way to communicate my thoughts."
Read Gifty's poem "Left Behind" here.
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|  | | | | A Karamojong woman roasting millet for her local brewery business to produce the alcoholic beverage Kongo Ting/Enguli/Kwete, Photo: Paul Morris Musoke | | | | |
| CERTIZENS MPhil student Paul Morris Musoke shares insights from his fieldwork on birth registration in Uganda | |
| | | | Paul Morris Musoke,
CERTIZENS member and Master's student from Makerere University, is researching
factors contributing to the
low numbers of birth registrations in Uganda. In
his fieldwork, Paul has focused on the group of Karamojong, an agropastoral
people who, triggered by droughts and civil wars, migrated in the last two decades in large
numbers from their traditional lands in North-east Uganda to urban spaces such as Jinja . He reflects on how amidst the
adaptations to urban life while simultaneously trying to preserve rural
traditions, birth registration becomes a contested process.
Read Paul's fieldwork reflections here.
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|  | | | | Interview respondents from North Tongu, Photos: Ramatu Issah (Written consent for publication has been obtained from the persons photographed.) | | | | |
| CERTIZENS MPhil student Ramatu Issah reflects on her thesis fieldwork with Zabarmas and Fulani in Volta Region, Ghana | |
| | | | Ramatu Issah from the University of Ghana joined the CERTIZENS research group in 2023. Her research focuses on the relationship between citizenship and marginalization. She explores the experiences of Zabarmas and Fulanis in obtaining identification cards (the ‘Ghana Card') and their related perceptions of identity, citizenship and belonging. Ramatu reflects in a very personal way on how her case study relates to her own past experiences and how interview partners navigate injustices caused by the implementation of Ghana's vision of a nation-wide identity system.
Read Ramatu's fieldwork reflections here.
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|  | | | | In
this issue, we highlight the expansion of Nigeria's ID system and how it has been received by the Nigerian public. We also present a selection of CERTIZENS-relevant issues in the press.
To suggest a news report or feature for the next newsletter, please email: certizens@teol.ku.dk
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|  | | | | Photo: jbdodane (2013), published via https://flic.kr/p/hjmkcp under CC BY-NC 2.0, text added by CERTIZENS | | | | |
| Nigeria expands its biometric ID system yet citizens remain critical
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| | | | by Susann Heidecke, CERTIZENS Project Assistant, 25.06.2024 | | | | |
| | | | In
April 2024, Nigeria's National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) announced
a contract renewal to upgrade its biometric identification system to handle the
data of up to 250 million Nigerians. Initially it was designed for 100 million
records. NIMC and the private sector service provider IDEMIA noted that the
"new system will give Nigeria one of the most advanced biometric systems
in the world comparable to India's Aadhaar". (ThisDay 10.04.2024)
The
system complies with OSIA (Open Standards Identity API) and therefore provides
ports to all kinds of applications and technologies. The agreement is part of a
long-standing collaboration between IDEMIA and the Nigerian state. IDEMIA is a
multinational private company headquartered in France. Its predecessor
Safran-Sagem was involved in a scandal in 2012 when the company was convicted
by a French court for bribing Nigerian officials to win a 170 million Euros
contract to produce ID cards from 2000 to 2003. (BBC 06.09.2012)
At
the same time, the Nigerian government revealed its plan to introduce new
multipurpose ID cards. The new digital ID card will be linked to bank accounts
with the goal to centralise data of card holders, ostensibly to improve
financial inclusion and social service delivery- this being a familiar claim being
made for most of the newly introduced digital national ID systems across the
continent. The joint initiative by NIMC, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the
Interbank Financial Services Program aims to facilitate access to services such
as travel, health insurance information, microloans, food stamps, transport,
and energy subsidies (TRTAfrika 06.04.2024, Biometric Update 09.04.2024). The
idea of a multipurpose card is not new. In 2014, Nigeria had unsuccessfully
launched an ID card with banking functions in cooperation with the US-based
firm MasterCard. (CNN 25.09.2014)
The announcement
sparked disapproval by many Nigerians. News outlets such as Guardian Nigeria (17.04.2024), Benjamin Dada (08.04.2024), Biometric Update (18.04.2024) among
others cite reactions on the social media platform X where users question if
the new cards are for their benefit or the benefit of the contractor. Since the
mandatory SIM registration in 2011, biometric information was captured in
multiple schemes, such as Permanent Voter Cards, Bank Verification Number,
Immigration Services, National Identification Number (NIN) and NIN-SIM linkage.
In the last 15 years, Nigerians have had to repeat the same process multiple
times and errors committed by registration agents have led to increased costs
for the enrolees. To some, the system is becoming too complicated and redundant
to keep up with. The Nigerian authorities have responded to the critique by
renewing their commitment to harmonize efforts and create a single government
database, a topic last discussed in October 2023. (Biometric Update 30.04.2024)
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|  | | | | | | | In
a pilot phase, women's groups in border communities between Senegal and Guinea
Bissau have received the ECOWAS Biometric National Identity Card (ENBIC), a
regional ID card to facilitate movement and business transactions in the border
zone. Biometric Update, 10 Jun 24
Muslim
communities in Turkana, Northern Kenya, have claimed discriminatory practices
during vetting procedures for receiving ID cards. KenyaNews, 12 Apr 24
In
South Sudan, citizens are concerned about a lack of National ID cards which are
required to vote in the country's first planned democratic elections in
December 2024. VoA News, 12 Apr 24
Liberia's
government has announced a nation-wide campaign for mass registration of
biometric data of citizens and foreigners given that national ID card uptake
continues to be very low. The New Dawn, 1 May 24
Uganda
has introduced a new ID requirement for money transactions over 1 million UGX
to combat online fraud. Critics comment it may slow down business because some
don't have ID cards. The African Exponent, 19 Apr 24
Zambia
has redirected 80 million USD budgeted for a digital ID rollout exercise to
prioritize measures against the effects of an enduring drought threating food
security in the country. ITweb Africa, 2 Apr 24
Ugandan
minority rights activists celebrated the list extension of officially
recognized ethnicities enhancing visibility and inclusivity within national ID
enrolment. Minority Rights Group, 9 May 24
In
Ghana, during harmonization of data from Ghana Cards and other documents
(passports, driver's license, health insurance cards), thousands of fake
documents were uncovered. MyJoyOnline, 14 Mar 24
Journalists
portray the investigations against Ugandan human rights lawyer Nick Opiyo as proof
that Uganda's ID system has become a powerful mechanism to monitor journalists,
human-rights advocates and citizens. Bloomberg, 4 Jun 24
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|  | | | | This section presents a selection of recent journal articles, books, reports and blogs on CERTIZENS-relevant themes. To suggest an item for the next newsletter please send a link to the work and a brief description of its relevance to: certizens@teol.ku.dk
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|  | | | | | | | Kenya's Digital Identity Revolution:
Balancing Progress and Human Rights
Ronald Odhiambio Bwana
Global Privacy Law Review 5(2), 2024
In brief: The
article reflects on the introduction of digital identity in Kenya and its theoretical
implications on human and constitutional rights. The author portrays the negotiations
between government bodies and policy initiatives since February 2023 towards a
national digital ID in Kenya. Bedded on this empirical experience, he discusses
potential human rights concerns followed by several principles which he suggests
as guidelines on how to protect human rights in a digital
identification system, e.g. ‘Privacy by Design', non-discrimination in legal
frameworks and enhancing public awareness of data protection rights.
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| | | | | | | Population Registration in Germany,
1842-1945: Information, Administrative Power, and State-Making in the Age of
Paper
Lawrence Frohman
Central European History 53(3), 2020
In brief: Although this article
does not engage with recent developments on the African continent, it is an
insightful read for those interested in the global history of registration
regimes. The author, Lawrence Frohman, carefully documents the rise of
‘administrative power' in Germany and how the state historically has utilized
personal data and biopolitical activities to assert its authority. Frohman
explores how population registrations became "natural attributes of the
state". His article offers great insights to what the pre-digital
paper-confinement of ID documents meant in practice for citizens and
bureaucrats from mid-19th to mid-20th century Germany.
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|  | | | | | | | Digitalization in Practice –
Intersections, Implications and Interventions
Jessamy Perriam, Katrine Meldgaard Kjær (editors)
De Gruyter, Berlin 2024
In brief: The
book offers insights on the day-to-day practices of increasingly digitalized
welfare systems. It takes a citizen perspective on issues of access,
identification and social harm in the digitalization of the everyday. Worth
highlighting, in Chapter 5 Cakici, Thiel and Singh analyse how digital identification
becomes the invisible background of state-citizen interactions for political
participation. The authors explore comparatively the digital ID
systems of Denmark, Ghana and India using the concept of ‘seamless' or
‘seamful' technologies and their implications.
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|  | | | | | | | SADC's rocky path – The challenges
of biometric and digital identity systems
Southern Africa Digital Rights Issue 3, April 2024
In brief: This publication is
published by a consortium of institutions from all SADC countries engaged in
‘The African declaration on Internet Rights and Freedoms'-project. In seven short
articles the authors spotlight questions around biometrics and digital IDs in
Botswana, eSwatini, Malawi, Namibia and Zimbabwe, and more broadly about data and
privacy protection and implications on human rights. They argue that although
biometric ID systems are rolled out at a high pace, there are no or slow
processes to ensure simultaneously the security and actual societal benefits from
biometric data collection and processing systems.
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| | | | | | | LONDA Digital Rights and Inclusion
in Africa Report 2023
Paradigm Initiative, April 2024
In brief: The Paradigm
Initiative (based in Nigeria) monitors annually the state of digital rights and
inclusion in Africa. The report presents country analyses of 26 African
countries written by digital rights experts from all over the continent and
based on different qualitative and quantitative research methods. In some
countries, 2023 was a progressive one for the enactment of data protection
laws, e.g. Tunisia, Tanzania, Malawi and Nigeria. However, in some cases internet
disruptions and cybercrime laws are employed to curtail digital rights, freedom
of expression and access to information. Many country reports feature sections
on ID systems and emphasize the need of data security in the roll-out of
biometric ID systems.
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| | | | | | | Marriage Divorce Registration and
Vital Statistics – Where Are We? Where Do We Go From Here?
Centre of Excellence for CRVS Systems, UNFPA, November 2023
In brief: This report offers an
overview of the current state of marriage and divorce registration around the
world. Marriage and divorce play a significant role in families and societies, particularly for women and girls. To claim their fundamental rights and
access to relevant services, the official recognition is of importance. Although this is part of international human rights conventions, the authors
argue that in practice it is often neglected. The report recommends improving
marriage and divorce registration as part of holistic civil registration and
ID systems.
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|  | | | | This section presents a selection of recent podcasts and audio material on
CERTIZENS-relevant themes. To suggest an item for the next newsletter please
send a link to the work and a brief description of its relevance
to: certizens@teol.ku.dk
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| | | | | | | Campaign Interviews for #EndIDvetting - MyIDMyRight
On the social media
platform X, the Kenyan human rights campaign MyIDMyRight portrays Kenyans in several short videos, ranging from elderly woman to young boxers, who for different
reason struggle to attain Kenya's National ID card. With the help of this
episodic evidence the initiative advocates for an end of the ID vetting
practice and its marginalizing effects.
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| | | | | | | Why is identity theft an increasing problem? - Africa Daily
In this podcast episode,
the South African podcast presenter Mpho Lakaje shares his personal story of
becoming a victim of identity theft and connects his personal experiences with an
alarming trend in South Africa, where identity theft has increased by over 350% from
2022 to 2023.
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|  | | | | To suggest an entry for the next newsletter's Upcoming section, please send details of the conference, seminar or other relevant event to: certizens@teol.ku.dk
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| | | | | | | ID Day 2024
16th September 2024
The international Identity Day is a global awareness-raising campaign for the commemoration of the human right to legal identity and to prompt reflection on its core principles of inclusion, protection and empowerment. 250 international organizations and government bodies support the initiative. The organizers provide guidelines to encourage everyone to create their own activities on September 16th.
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|  | | | | | | | Funded Visiting
Fellowships for Post-Docs by British Academy
Post-doc scholars at
any stage of their career from outside of the UK can apply for a funded 6-months
stay at a UK higher education or other research institution. The program aims
to connect outstanding scholars in humanities and social sciences with British
institutions. Applications by historically
and structurally disadvantaged groups, low-income countries, and female
researchers are particularly welcomed.
We encourage any
suitable candidates working on ID-related topics within Africa to apply, and
then share their work if successful.
Deadline: 23rd October 2024
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| | | | We encourage you to submit announcements of relevant opportunities for the next CERTIZENS newsletter, including conference calls, calls for journal articles or book chapters, job openings, researching funding, or other opportunities. Please email: certizens@teol.ku.dk
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