Annual Meeting of ID4 Africa 2025 Kicks off in Addis in Presence of PM Abiy

Addis Ababa, May 20, 2025 (ENA) -- The 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the ID4Africa opened today in Addis Ababa in the presence of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

ID4Africa is a pan-African movement committed to supporting African nations in building robust and responsible identity ecosystems that drive socio-economic development, digital transformation, and humanitarian efforts.

This prestigious event brings together stakeholders from across the globe, reinforcing Ethiopia’s critical role in the continent’s digital transformation journey.

In his opening address, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed emphasized Ethiopia’s transition from a fragmented ID system to Fayda—a secure, inclusive digital ID initiative launched under the Digital Ethiopia 2025 strategy.

With over 15 million people already enrolled and a target of 90 million, Fayda is connecting all citizens—particularly women, youth, and displaced communities—to essential services.  

Integrated across key sectors such as finance, health, and education, Fayda is already enabling 9.6 trillion birr in digital transactions.

Executive Chairman of ID4Africa, Joseph Atick expressed his gratitude to Ethiopia for its exceptional hospitality in hosting the event.

 

He praised the country’s leadership and its commitment to advancing digital identity systems on the continent.

Yodahe Arayasalassi, Director of the Ethiopian National ID Program, also delivered an address, emphasizing Ethiopia’s success in implementing its digital identity program and the country’s leadership role in shaping the future of identity systems in Africa.

The 2025 AGM is being held under the theme “Digital Identity at Scale: Prioritizing Use, Accelerating Impact.”

 

ID4Africa seeks to strengthen the strategic capacity necessary for the development of responsible and inclusive identity ecosystems across the continent.

Founded in 2014, the movement emphasizes the importance of robust identity systems, viewing them as foundational not only for economic growth but also for the digital transformation of governments.

The first AGM of ID4Africa was hosted in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in 2015, marking the beginning of an annual tradition. Since then, the AGM has been held consecutively for 10 years.

 

The 2025 AGM is particularly significant, as it takes place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, following an intense and competitive selection process.

Ethiopia’s selection as the host country for the 2025 AGM was the result of a rigorous evaluation process.

For the 2025 AGM, six countries presented their candidacies. After careful deliberation, the committee chose Ethiopia to host this influential event, recognizing the nation’s dedication to digital identity advancement.

This transformative event brought together over 2,000 participants from more than 100 countries, marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of digital identity systems across Africa and the world.