Mogadishu, Somalia – The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has announced significant progress in Somalia’s National ID rollout, with nearly half a million people registered since the official launch in September 2023.
According to NIRA Director General Abdiwali Ali Abdulle (Timacadde), thousands of citizens continue to register each month as awareness grows across the country. To sustain this momentum, he said, NIRA has invested in new card printing facilities, expanded registration centers nationwide, and extended services to 30 Somali embassies abroad.
The National ID has now been integrated with key national systems, including education, banking, passports, business licensing, and domestic travel. The Director noted that these efforts are part of NIRA’s strategy to make the National ID a central tool for accessing opportunities and essential services for all Somali citizens.
Abdiwali emphasized that transparency and citizen engagement are essential to building public trust in the program. “We place great importance on openness—listening, answering questions, and engaging with citizens,” he said. Over recent weeks, NIRA has organized community forums and participated in public events to raise awareness about the importance of the National ID and its role in promoting inclusion.
He highlighted several key moments featured in the latest edition of NIRA’s Monthly e-Magazine, including Somalia’s participation in World Identity Day, which linked the country’s efforts to a global movement for legal identity, and a forum at Benadir University, where students discussed access, trust, and the value of digital identity.
The Director said young people are playing a critical role in advancing the National ID initiative by spreading awareness, fostering trust, and helping to extend registration nationwide. “Their voices, along with the engagement of communities everywhere, give us confidence that the Somali National ID will serve generations to come,” he added.
NIRA’s September e-Magazine, published under the theme “Identity, Youth, and the Future,” captures these developments and milestones as part of the Authority’s ongoing efforts to strengthen Somalia’s National ID system.