By Amos Harris
Monrovia, Liberia – The National Identification Registry (NIR) is making significant strides in transforming Liberia’s digital identity landscape, with Executive Director Andrew Peters announcing full implementation of Executive Order #147, recently issued by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai on April 14, 2025. Speaking on Thursday, June 5, 2025, at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs, and Tourism (MICAT) regular press briefing, Director Peters highlighted the Executive Order’s mandate for the compulsory use of the National Biometric ID card for all public and private transactions nationwide.
“This directive is a major boost to our mandate,” Peters stated, emphasizing that it “provides the institutional backing necessary to accelerate the biometric registration of all citizens and residents.”
Established in 2011 by an Act of the National Legislature, the NIR replaced the former National ID Card System created under PRC Decree No. 65. Its core responsibilities include managing Liberia’s National Biometric Identification System (NBIS), issuing biometric ID cards linked with unique Social Security Numbers (SSNs), and maintaining a secure data infrastructure to support a range of critical services, from banking to passport applications.
To date, the NIR has successfully registered 759,223 individuals, representing 14.6% of Liberia’s estimated 5.2 million population. Of those enrolled, 56.85% are male (431,681) and 43.15% female (327,542). The agency operates 30 permanent enrollment centers nationwide, with 14 located in Montserrado County. Additionally, mobile teams have been deployed to government institutions and major telecom providers, Lonestar and Orange, to expand reach.
In September 2023, the NIR launched the “Enrollment at Birth Project,” a crucial initiative aimed at capturing biometric data for over 500,000 children between the ages of 0 and 5, an age group previously excluded due to technological constraints. With support from UNICEF, the pilot phase is currently underway in Montserrado, Margibi, and Grand Bassa Counties, where 5,000 children are being enrolled.
Further demonstrating its impact, in 2024, the NIR partnered with the Civil Service Agency (CSA) to authenticate government payroll records. Through its e-verification platform, this collaboration successfully eliminated “ghost names” and saved public funds.
Liberia, through the NIR, remains an active member of ID4Africa, a pan-African movement promoting legal identity for all. Notably, September 16 has been declared National Identity Day and is now recognized as a working holiday in Liberia. The country’s efforts align with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 16.9, which seeks universal legal identity by 2030. In 2025, NIR proudly represented Liberia at the ID4Africa Annual General Meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
On May 2, 2024, the NIR launched a comprehensive National Roadmap for biometric enrollment within a two-year timeline. In collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP), the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), NICOL, the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), and the National Elections Commission (NEC), the plan includes ambitious objectives:
- Creation of 200 new enrollment centers
- Deployment of 500 enrollment teams and 50 mobile teams
- Installation of solar-powered autonomous systems
- Establishment of six regional printing hubs
- Launch of an online registration portal and offline verification platform
- Creation of 3,000 new jobs nationwide
- Enrollment of Liberians abroad through embassies
Additionally, the NIR has entered into a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to enhance service delivery. A pilot project in collaboration with NICOL and LTA will issue ID cards to 5,000 low-income earners under the government’s new National Health Insurance Program, further integrating digital identity with essential social services.
Despite these accomplishments, the NIR continues to face significant challenges, including inadequate funding, $1.7 million in unpaid obligations to key service provider Techno Brain, and a lack of infrastructure for decentralized card printing. Director Peters appealed to the Government of Liberia and development partners for increased financial and technical support, stressing that a modern and secure identity system is essential for effective governance, revenue collection, and service delivery.
“We urge all financial institutions to utilize our e-verification platform to validate ID cards and prevent fraud,” he advised, emphasizing the importance of widespread adoption of their digital tools.
Peters reaffirmed NIR’s unwavering commitment to delivering a comprehensive digital identity system that promotes national development, enhances public service delivery, and strengthens democratic governance in Liberia.
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