Tuesday
May 19
2020

Biometrics Support Financial Services Efficiency in Malawi, Nigeria and Ghana as UNHCR Ramps Up in Niger

By Frank Hersey

The biometrics business continues as normal in parts of Africa. A new ePassport agency opens in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, despite closed borders and social distancing requirements. Idemia appoints a new East Africa sales director, soon after its good news in KenyaNigeria connects more bank accounts to national IDs, Malawi strikes off over 4,000 potential ‘ghost pensioners,’ and at the humanitarian end of the spectrum, the UNHCR is continuing its biometric registration work as it faces tens of thousands of refugees arriving in Niger.

Local identity documentation firm Snedai has opened its fifth agency in Côte d’Ivoire which will be the first in a series of digital-only offices, reports Koaci.

The firm has moved almost all the passport service online from application to appointment booking and payments. Opening during the COVID-19 pandemic reinforced the company’s push to go online for convenience by reducing the number of visits necessary to process a passport application. The time spent attending the agency for appointments should be no more than 15 minutes.

Photo courtesy of Better Than Cash Alliance / Urmila Jagannathan.

Source: Biometric Update (link opens in a new window)

Categories
Coronavirus, Technology
Tags
digital identity