Liberia to link national ID, CRVS in planned infrastructure upgrade

Liberia plans to link its national ID and Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) systems as part of a broader identity infrastructure upgrade under a proposed $54 million public-private partnership with Austrian State Printing House (OSD).

National Identification Registry (NIR) Executive Director Andrew Peters outlined the plan at a recent press conference in Monrovia, saying a modern national identity system requires reliable records of births, deaths and other major life events.

“The proposed NID-CRVS system is therefore intended to provide a more integrated digital framework linking national identification with civil registration and vital statistics,” Peters said.

He added: “The long-term objective is to strengthen the management of identity information through a person’s life. That is, from birth registration and national identification, to the recording of other important life events. Such a system can contribute to better national planning, improved service delivery, and more reliable information for national development.”

 Cabo Verde has pursued similar integration of civil registration and identity systems, contributing to near universal birth registration and identity coverage.

The agreement with OSD has already been signed but still requires parliamentary approval.

Peters emphasized that the NIR fully respects the authority and role of the legislature and will therefore not pre-empt the outcome of the lawful process.

While waiting, he said the ID authority’s activities will be focused on “institutional readiness, stakeholder engagement, public awareness, and preparation for the next phase of the national identification program, pending the completion of the required legal process.”

It is worth noting that national ID issuance has been suspended in Liberia since June 2025, when the government halted the exercise to address administrative challenges, technical issues, and concerns over procurement transparency. The prolonged suspension has left millions of Liberians without a valid national ID, disrupting access to banking, telecommunications, and other essential services.

Trust infrastructure for service access

According to Peters, the NIR aims to put in place not just a national ID, but an entire trust infrastructure ecosystem that would not only facilitate how citizens get access to services, but to do so in a secure and trusted manner.

He said Liberians will have full details about how biometric enrollment for the national ID will begin, adding that the process will particularly target people living in rural and underserved communities, where distance, poor road conditions, electricity, and connectivity can make access to public services very difficult.

“A secure and reliable identity system can support authorized services in areas including banking and financial services, telecommunications and SIM registration, government payroll and public services, transportation and licensing, social protection, and other services that require reliable identity verification,” Peters explained.

Data protection and sovereignty

As part of the plan, Peters said the NIR is also paying greater attention to data protection, assuring that the ID authority remains fully in charge of that aspect, which is also part of the country’s effort to strengthen and consolidate its digital sovereignty.

“The proposed concession does not mean that ownership of Liberian citizens’ identity information is being transferred to a private company. OSD International is proposed to serve as the government’s technology and implementation partner under the terms of the contract,” Peters stated.

He reaffirmed that the NIR “remains a government institution mandated to administer the national identity system and to exercise its statutory responsibilities relating to identity registration, data governance, and the administration of the national identity infrastructure.”

Peters assured Liberians of the role the national identity infrastructure upgrade is expected to play in facilitating service delivery.

He said “the National Identification Registry is committed to building a more secure, inclusive, accessible, and sustainable national identity system,” adding that the proposed modernization program provides an opportunity to strengthen Liberia’s national ID, civil registration, and vital statistics infrastructure.

Article Topics

Africa  |  Austrian State Printing House (OSD)  |  civil registration  |  digital ID infrastructure  |  Liberia  |  national ID  |  National Identification Registry (NIR)  |  public-private partnerships