Cameroon expands education digitalization with student digital ID program

Cameroon is creating a digital identity layer for its secondary education system, with plans to issue student digital IDs linked to academic records, payments and school administration services. The initiative builds on a 2024 program that assigned unique identification numbers to secondary school students and forms part of a broader effort to digitize education management and financial transactions.

Students across secondary schools in Cameroon will soon have an official digital ID card, thanks to a partnership between the Ministry of Secondary Education and telecommunications company MTN Cameroon.

The information was disclosed recently as both parties signed an addendum to an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the Ministry announced.

The project reflects a broader trend in which governments are extending digital identity systems into sector-specific ecosystems such as education, healthcare and social services. Rather than serving solely as proof of identity, these credentials increasingly function as access keys to records, payments and digital services.

The student digital ID will be the consolidation of a measure that was introduced in 2024 to assign a unique identification number to every secondary school student. The number is obtained by each student submitting their personal information through a dedicated portal provided by the ministry. Once the information is keyed into the portal, the number is automatically generated by the system and linked to the profile of the student.

Secondary Education Minister, Prof. Nalova Lyonga, said at the time that the unique identification number will streamline the student management process throughout their secondary and high school journey.

The planned digital ID, according to the agreement, will be linked to a unified database which contains information about a student’s academic, financial and disciplinary records. Officials say this will make it easier for schools to track performance, manage transfers, and ensure that records remain consistent across institutions.

In effect, the student digital ID is evolving beyond a simple identification number into a digital credential that links identity, records and transactions across the education ecosystem.

During the signing ceremony, Lyonga said the reason for introducing the student digital ID is to put in place a secure student governance system as the country’s secondary education sector advances its digital transformation push.

Beyond the issuance of official digital ID cards, the recent MoU addendum signed with MTN Mobile Money Corporation, the fintech subsidiary of MTN Cameroon, also seeks to strengthen the digitization of school-related payments.

Lyonga noted that the digital payment initiative will not only boost financial transparency within the school milieu but also bring the administration closer to parents by helping them to “save time and gain efficiency.”

Alain Nono, CEO of MTN Mobile Money Corporation, lauded the partnership saying it will “further streamline, secure, and simplify financial transactions related to the school environment.” He added that the initiative aligns with MTN’s vision of supporting Cameroon’s digital economy development and building a trusted digital payments system.

Per the agreement, the student digital ID will be used to facilitate identity verification for digital financial transactions, to reduce fraud and enhance transparency in the payment of either school or examination fees. The system is expected to cut down on cash handling in schools, a practice that has often been criticized for its lack of accountability.

The initiative forms part of a wider education modernization strategy that includes digital learning resources, teacher training and the digitization of administrative services.

Student identity systems are emerging as a specialized component of digital public infrastructure strategies in a growing number of countries including Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Ireland and the United States. A s governments digitize education services, student credentials are increasingly being used to link records, payments, services and academic histories, transforming student identity from an administrative identifier into a foundational layer of education infrastructure.

Article Topics

Cameroon  |  digital ID  |  digital public infrastructure  |  identity management  |  student ID