Benin, Ghana and Rwanda have completed an initial test linking their digital identity systems under the Smart Africa initiative, the organisation announced on Tuesday, 20 October. The aim is eventually to make it possible to verify a person's identity across borders without pooling national registers into a single database.
The test used fictional identities in a controlled environment and showed that the systems could communicate through the Smart Africa Data Exchange. Each administration retains control of its own registry and responds to authorised verification requests.
The potential uses extend beyond travel formalities. Reliable cross-border checks could also support business registration procedures, recognition of qualifications and access to financial services, all cited by Smart Africa. Those services are not yet available to the public, and the pilot did not transfer real personal data between administrations.
A second phase is intended to prepare operational tests following national approvals and security assessments. The cooperation framework is provided by the Smart Africa Trust Alliance, involving nineteen countries with a combined population of more than 335 million.
The pilot includes ASIN and ANIP in Benin, NIA and NITA in Ghana, and RISA and NIDA in Rwanda. The next stage will be to move from a technical demonstration to exchanges that can be used in regulated administrative procedures.