Ethiopia’s National Digital ID Program is set to expand across Africa, with pilot projects planned in Zambia, Mozambique, and Burundi, according to Yodahe Arayaselassie, Executive Director of the National ID Program—marking a significant step in African-led digital innovation and South-South cooperation.

The cross-border deployment marks a major milestone for African-led tech innovation, transforming Ethiopia from a regional pioneer into an exporter of sovereign Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI).

Ethiopia’s National Digital ID Program is set to expand across Africa, with pilot projects planned in Zambia, Mozambique, and Burundi—marking a significant step in African-led digital innovation and South-South cooperation.

The pilot projects—supported by bilateral Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and formal capacity-building agreements—are designed to directly advance the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy (2020–2030) and Agenda 2063. Central to the AU's continental vision is the creation of a Secured Digital Single Market, which requires interoperable digital identity protocols across member states to ensure secure identity verification, trusted data exchange, and seamless governance

In an exclusive interview with ENA the Executive Director of National   ID Program, Yodahe Arayaselassie stated that the initiative helps prevent crime, streamline digital integration of services, and build trustworthy connections among individuals, institutions, and other stakeholders.

Yodahe also revealed that the number of registered digital National ID holders in Ethiopia has reached 50 million.

Efforts to integrate the system with service-providing institutions have resulted in links with 150 government agencies, private entities, startups, and other organizations. Furthermore, more than 200 million identity verification transactions have been performed through the National ID platform.

Nationwide expansion has brought the number of registration stations to nearly 12,000, enabling the successful registration of 50 million individuals to date.

The Executive Director recalled that as the Ethiopian National Digital ID Program evolved into a broader digital infrastructure hub, it was formally established as a state-owned enterprise under Ethiopian Investment Holdings (EIH).

The Program is working to deliver streamlined solutions including the Digital Wallet as well as enterprise and commercial digital services.

He explained that the positive impacts of the national ID in digital technology and the macroeconomic sector have gained significant attention across Africa.

This has prompted several African nations to look beyond mere interest, taking concrete steps to learn from Ethiopia's experience and collaborate. Many countries have expressed a desire for support in capacity building, consultancy, and digital system construction.

Among these interested nations, several have signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and are preparing to move into pilot project execution. Consequently, activities have begun to roll out National Digital ID technology on a pilot basis in Zambia, Mozambique, and Burundi.

This initiative demonstrates that Africans can achieve digital transformation through their own capabilities and mutual support, playing a major role in strengthening South-South cooperation. It also reinforces Ethiopia’s exemplary role in driving continental initiatives.

This regional adoption directly aligns with the African Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa (2020–2030) and the AU Agenda 2063 master plan.

Central to the AU's vision is the creation of a continent-wide Secured Digital Single Market, which requires universal digital legal identity, cross-border data interoperability, and harmonized digital governance. By adopting the AU Interoperability Framework for Digital ID, initiatives like this help ensure that national systems can securely recognize digital credentials across borders.

Furthermore, deploying home-grown infrastructure across Africa supports the operationalization of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Seamless cross-border trade, e-commerce, and regional financial systems rely on verifiable, tamper-proof identities to streamline Know-Your-Customer (KYC) compliance and prevent cross-border identity fraud.

Ultimately, this rollout demonstrates that African nations can achieve rapid digital transformation through their own technological capabilities and mutual support. By providing a scalable alternative to expensive foreign vendor solutions, Ethiopia’s National ID  initiative strengthens South-South technical cooperation, positioning Ethiopia as a leading hub for sovereign Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) on the continent.