Margins ID Group has won a contract with the Government of The Gambia to design, build, finance, co-operate, and transfer a National ID System and an Integrated Digital ID System, The Business & Financial Times reported.
The contract covers the full lifecycle of the national and digital identity platforms, including design and deployment, financing, operational cooperation, and eventual transfer, according to the report.
The Business & Financial Times reports that Margins was selected after a technical and financial evaluation of three shortlisted firms, and described the company as the first African-owned provider to export a full-scale national and digital identity system beyond its home market.
Delegations from The Gambia reportedly inspected Margins’ Intelligent Card Production Systems facility in Ghana as part of the procurement process, along with operations at the company’s technology subsidiary. The report also said Margins operates Ghana’s integrated National Identification System in partnership with the National Identification Authority.
Margins founder and CEO Moses Kwesi Baiden Jnr is quoted describing the contract as a defining moment for African digital identity innovation, and thanked The Gambia’s government for placing its trust in the company.
The contract award is a significant cross-border procurement for African identity infrastructure. The scope includes both a national ID platform and an integrated digital ID system, implying support for identity issuance and digital verification services for residents and government programs.
By covering financing and operational cooperation in addition to build and transfer, the contract indicates a long-term engagement model rather than a simple technology sale.
Across West Africa, identity programs are also being tied to regional mobility initiatives, including ECOWAS biometric ID efforts, while other governments have been moving toward digital ID deployments such as national digital ID for e-services.
Sources: The Business & Financial Times
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By Ji-seo Kim
