The Ethiopian government is implementing a nation-wide biometric digital ID system, aiming to register all eligible adults of its population of 119 million by the end of 2025. Backed by the World Bank, the pilot of the digital ID system was announced in 2021, amid the brutal civil war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, and saw widespread profiling of the Tigrayan minority who make up about 6% of the population. The new Ethiopian national digital ID, named Fayda - which means value in the Amharic language - will also display an individual's date of birth, gender, address and photograph. The World Bank and U.N. agencies have been criticised for pushing digital ID projects in conflict-prone regions without adequate safeguards to prevent data misuse or rights abuses. The regional spokesperson for the World Bank did not respond to a request for comment.

Source: Ethiopian News February 01, 2023 03:27 UTC