Ethio Telecom Registers 69 Percent of Ethiopia’s National Digital ID Enrollees

Addis Ababa, July 24, 2026 (ENA) — Ethio Telecom announced in its 2025/26 Annual Business Performance Report that it has registered nearly 32 million citizens for Ethiopia’s National Digital ID program, Fayda.

Since joining the initiative in April 2024, the telecom operator has accounted for 69 percent of total registrations nationwide.

By leveraging its extensive infrastructure and service network, Ethio Telecom has emerged as a key registration partner in expanding access to digital identity services across the country.

The telecom operator has emerged as a major registration partner in the implementation of Ethiopia’s National Digital ID programme, known as Fayda, leveraging its nationwide infrastructure and service network to expand access to digital identity services.

During the 2025/26 Ethiopian fiscal year, it registered 20.19 million citizens and generated 17.17 million Foundational Identification Numbers (FINs), the unique identifiers issued under the digital identity system.

According to the report, this brought the total number of FINs generated through the company’s participation to 27.1 million.

Ethio Telecom has expanded registration services across all regional states and the two city administrations, reaching 119 zones, more than 980 woredas, and over 1,300 urban centers.

The company further noted that the registration drive has prioritized digital inclusion by reaching various segments of society.

In partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, more than four million farmers have been registered under the programme, the report revealed.

Through collaborations with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Ethio Telecom has also registered more than 28,000 internally displaced persons to help them access identity services.

The initiative has additionally covered beneficiaries of the Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP), students, returnees, and other priority groups as part of efforts to expand participation in Ethiopia’s digital identity ecosystem.

Ethio Telecom also reported that a total of 9.35 million cards have been printed from about 9.4 million orders, representing a fulfillment rate of nearly 99 percent. Of these, 7.45 million cards were produced during the 2025/26 fiscal year alone.

The programme has also created employment opportunities for more than 4,000 people through registration and card distribution activities, while providing business opportunities for franchise partners involved in service delivery.

Ethiopia’s National Digital ID programme, Fayda, is designed to provide residents with secure foundational identity credentials and facilitate access to digital services.

The system is expected to enhance public service delivery, promote financial inclusion, and support the development of the country’s digital public infrastructure.

Ethio Telecom’s growing role in the initiative comes as Ethiopia accelerates efforts to build an inclusive digital economy by expanding access to secure and reliable digital identity services nationwide.