Somali officials have estimated that approximately $125 million is required to complete nationwide rollout of the country’s national digital ID program, citing the figure as the cost of moving from current progress to full operational coverage.
The estimate is presented as funding needed to fully deploy the system rather than to continue limited enrollment or platform development. National digital ID programs often face rising costs as they transition from pilots to nationwide issuance, particularly when enrollment, logistics, and service integration scale up.
Although a detailed cost breakdown has not been published, full rollout typically includes expanding enrollment operations through additional registration kits, staffing, training, and transportation. It also involves strengthening core identity systems to support lifecycle management, deduplication, and security at national scale.
Credential issuance models can also contribute to costs, particularly where programs support both digital and physical credentials to accommodate connectivity or accessibility constraints. Integration with government services and, in some cases, private-sector platforms is another significant expense, requiring technical work, legal frameworks, and operational coordination.
Ongoing support functions such as help desks, exception handling, fraud management, and governance structures generally increase as enrollment volumes grow. These “last mile” elements often account for a substantial portion of total program costs once initial system development is complete.
The $125 million estimate highlights the financial demands of scaling identity infrastructure in a fragile context. Funding sources have not been specified, raising questions about the balance between domestic financing, international donor support, and blended models.
Somalia’s national digital ID program has been positioned as a foundational element for public administration and service delivery. Officials have linked the system to improved access to government services and broader economic participation, making nationwide coverage a priority. The country recently launched three national digital identity platforms, including HUBIYE for identity verification and e-Aqoonsi for mobile digital IDs, following earlier biometric national ID system development backed by World Bank support.
Whether the estimated funding can be secured and deployed effectively will shape the pace and reach of the rollout. The figure provides a rare public reference point for the resources required to move from system build-out to population-scale identity issuance.
Sources: Dawan Africa
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By Ji-seo Kim
