According to a broad consensus, it is a priority for Africa to adopt strong governance frameworks and business models to move forward in sustainable ecosystems to benefit from the promise of identity. ID4Africa's 2026 AGM.
Dr. Joseph Attick sat down with both of them biometric update Correspondents were on location for an exclusive interview during the final day of proceedings to discuss the most important findings of the week.
The concept of digital public ecosystems “took off like wildfire,” says Atic, referring to the frequent use of the concept by speakers in panels and presentations to frame discussions of digital identity.
According to Atik, this approach has already led to more connected ID systems in many African countries that were previously closed. “It's very gratifying to see the results of what they've done,” he says.
Atik believes that at the moment, African ID authorities are leading the thought in the national digital ID field. This can be seen in the dramatic improvements in registrations, but even more so in the practical use cases that are being enabled.
“My hope is that the development community, the worldwide community, will not put obstacles in the way and counter this agenda by insisting on other concepts,” he says. Building on efforts that are already yielding results will yield better results than trying to keep up with fashionable trends in the field of identity.
Development partners need to see results for their funding, but Africa needs sustained, sustainable stability.
fully mature dialogue
The right “institutional arrangements” are what countries need to move from projects bound by time and scope to functioning identity ecosystems that create value through iteration. The ecosystem is not based on centralized decision-making, but on institutional arrangements that make governance effective and encourage replication.
Co-governance is one of the specific types of institutional arrangements that needs reform, because without clear responsibilities, parties can become paralyzed by fear of conflict between them. “Sometimes doing nothing is the safest thing to do. But that's exactly the wrong response,” says Atic.
Governance frameworks with defined roles, responsibilities and lines of accountability are needed for African countries to better utilize their identity systems. Earlier questions about biometrics, deduplication and other initial processing steps have already been answered.
Attic put-luck draws an analogy between community food and ecosystem governance – each party has responsibilities, which must be made clear and managed, for example to avoid duplication of effort, such as everyone bringing potato salad. But the responsibility of everyone including the coordinator is limited and manageable.
The shift in dialogue is a reflection of progress across Africa. As the number of people who cannot vindicate their rights, or the ranks of the “invisible” people, increases, the challenge becomes maintaining the digital state.
10 countries selected by ID4Africa to present during this period Inauguration Day Plenary Meeting Atik says they were chosen significantly because of the examples they set in pursuing that sustainability in their specific national context.
Ethiopia has taken advantage of a kind of second-mover advantage, drawing on insights from across the continent to catch up quickly in terms of reaching sustainability. delivering value. Meanwhile, Tanzania's identification system is relatively mature, but its ID authority is working A Startup's PerspectivePrioritizing smart decisions and collaboration to achieve your goals.
Below the core of the crop is a vast second layer of countries that are moving forward, but some, unfortunately, are lagging behind.
They are lagging behind not because of lack of financial resources, but because of insufficient political will for one reason or the other.
Their economies are suffering the consequences of a weakened identity ecosystem, including employment opportunities, the importance of which the World Bank stressed at its 2026 AGM, and Atik agrees.
People without economic opportunity at home will turn to it elsewhere, Atik warns: “They are sailing to the Mediterranean in fleets, taking risks and leaving the country. This is absolutely the wrong trend.”
Even for the most reticent government, a “revolution” of economic opportunity enabled by the expansion of functional identity for all is preferable to a revolution led by mobs of opportunity-hungry youth in the streets – an eerily familiar phenomenon even in recent continental history.
Africa Digital ID Hackathon It reflects the importance of opportunities for Africa's youth as well as their role in providing opportunities for others.
Africa's sense of self-confidence and pride in the achievements of its identity was the biggest achievement of the AGM for Atik. The conversation in the hallways focused less on barriers and more on potential and practical experiences, beyond the rhetoric of solutions built “in Africa, by Africa and for Africa.”
The resilience of Africa's growing identity ecosystem was shown in the success of the event in bringing together stakeholders from across the country despite flight cancellations and security concerns due to the war.
Etik says the intangible benefits of Africa's identity community, in terms of self-reliance and confidence gained through experience, are even more important than the benefits that can be measured with KPIs.
“This is the result of an ecosystem that is interacting well.”
cape town 2027
Cape Town, South Africa was Revealed as host location ID4Africa's 2027 AGM is different than previous host cities, and also in that it will be the AGM's first return to a city in 14 years.
During previous announcements high-level officials such as ministerial representatives had been expected as part of the announcement, but a parliamentary session in South Africa made the usual timing impossible, prompting ID4Africa to change the way the next host was revealed.
The second trip to Cape Town in three years, and the third to South Africa, also reduces risk in uncertain times, with air travel routes less likely to be disrupted if the Middle East is still plagued by war.
Finding an 18-day window for setup, teardown and event, as well as adjusting to government commitments, played a key role in motivating next year's AGM to be moved to June. It will overlap with Identity Week Europe, which Etic considers unfortunate, but manageable given the improved resilience of the ecosystem.
“These are mature industries; if they feel it's an important market, they send people in proportion to that importance,” he says.
Attic says attendance demand has increased 30 percent per year, despite how quickly an event can grow. There will definitely be buyers.
Changing ecosystem of industry partners
The 2026 AGM was the largest expo to date, with 150 vendors, including shared booths, with the largest number of Africa-based vendors to date.
They are more centrally located with larger booths, “reflecting the African reality” of full engagement and confidence.
Atic says international technology providers still have a major role to play, particularly in areas such as research and development where they hold significant advantages. But relations between the two groups are changing.
“The nature of the relationship is going to change. African companies need to become the lead, and international companies need to become supporting providers, and this is happening more and more.”
Not long ago, continental providers did not meet the qualifications to be a primary provider, but this is changing.
Atic says market expansion will leave plenty of stake for everyone, as long as expats continue to innovate. The market will choose innovation, and the innovation cycle has accelerated, so there is an incentive for everyone to participate.
Industry also needs to listen and be more responsive to Africa's needs rather than being prescriptive. This means a presence on the continent, including platforms like ID4Africa.
Nearly half of the 2,500 registered attendees were from Africa's public sector, more than 2,200 of whom traveled to Abidjan.
Attic suggests that new leaders may emerge from this “shifting marketplace.”
“Africa has the knowledge and strategic capacity to decide what will work for them and what won't. So partner, co-design with African countries and put your R&D power at the service of problem-solving in Africa.”
keep reading biometric update Look for further follow-up coverage of ID4Africa's 2026 AGM over the next several weeks, including much more Interviews, stakeholders' perspectives and analysis.
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biometrics | digital identity | digital public infrastructure | Dr. Joseph Attic | ID4Africa | ID4Africa 2026