National ID

What National ID does

National ID (formally the National ID Program, or NIDP) is a government entity of Ethiopia operating Fayda, the country's foundational digital identification system established under Digital ID Proclamation No. 1284/2023. Article 16(1) of the proclamation designates Fayda as legal and sufficient proof of identity, and the National Bank of Ethiopia has mandated its use for bank account openings in Addis Ababa since December 23, 2017, with broader sector-wide mandatory adoption planned. NIDP assigns each eligible citizen and legal resident a unique 12-digit Fayda Identification Number (FIN) on a 'one person, one identity' basis.

The system is built on the Modular Open Source Identity Platform (MOSIP), with multi-modal biometric authentication (10 fingerprints in a 4-4-2 scan, two iris scans, and ICAO-compliant facial photographs) for unique identification. The product ecosystem spans the Fayda ID mobile app (iOS/Android), the Veri Fayda eKYC platform (online authentication via OTP, selfie facial recognition, and fingerprint), the FaydaEncode offline QR authentication method, the in-development FaydaPass digital credential wallet, and the Fayda Offline Authenticator verifier APK — all interoperating through NIDP's authentication and eKYC APIs. Distribution runs through Ethio telecom centers, Ministry of Revenue tax offices, selected bank branches, Ethiopost, and DARS locations, supplemented by online pre-registration, the mobile app, and a USSD hotline (977).

Fayda is not a commercial offering: it is free at point of use, publicly funded through the Ethiopian government budget with World Bank grant support, and targets enrollment of 70+ million residents by end of 2025 and 90 million by 2028. End customers are Ethiopian citizens and legal residents; relying parties include 100+ integrated agencies spanning banks, microfinance institutions, telecoms, government ministries, and document registration services. Yodahe Zemichael serves as Executive Director, with a staff of 101–250.

Name

National ID

Legal name

National ID Program (NIDP)

Website

https://id.gov.et

Company type

Public

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

National ID (NIDP) is Ethiopia's government entity operating Fayda, the foundational digital ID system established under Proc. 1284/2023. Built on MOSIP with multi-modal biometrics, it issues 12-digit FINs to enable eKYC and authentication across banking, telecom, and government for 70+ million residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Identity Infrastructure

NAICS

National Security and International Affairs (928)

SIC

Foreign Governments (8888)

akta.pro primary industry

Identity Verification & Proofing (IDV, KYC, Biometrics) (HDADAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fraud Prevention & Identity Verification (IDV/KYC) (BPAMAEAI), Data, Evidence & Document Verification (IDV) for KYC (FSAMAMAN), Taxpayer Registration, Identity & Account Management (BPAIADAB)

Keywords

• Digital identity system
• Biometric authentication
• Electronic KYC
• National identification
• Identity verification

Headquarters

HQ city

Addis Ababa

HQ country

Ethiopia

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government-funded Public Service: National ID program funded by Ethiopian government budget and World Bank support. Fayda ID is a foundational government service offered to residents at no direct cost. Revenue model not commercially oriented - program operates as public infrastructure.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

National ID (NIDP) operates Fayda, Ethiopia's foundational digital identification system established under Proclamation No. 1284/2023. The system issues a unique 12-digit Fayda Identification Number (FIN) to eligible residents, using multi-modal biometric capture (10 fingerprints, iris scans, ICAO-compatible face photograph) and minimal demographic data. It enables real-time biometric authentication, online eKYC with OTP and facial recognition, and offline QR-based verification for service providers across banking, telecom, and government sectors.

Product overview

National ID (NIDP) operates Fayda, Ethiopia's foundational digital ID system established under Proclamation No. 1284/2023. The core offering is the Fayda Digital ID providing a unique 12-digit FIN through biometric identification (fingerprint, iris, face). The product ecosystem includes: Fayda Mobile App for resident self-service, Veri Fayda eKYC for service provider verification, Offline Authentication via QR codes (FaydaEncode), FaydaPass Digital Wallet (in development), Fayda Offline Authenticator verifier app, Card Print service through partner providers (Ethiopost, EthioTele), and Update Fayda for demographic corrections. All components interoperate through NIDP's secure API infrastructure to enable trusted identity verification across financial, telecom, government, and social services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fayda Digital ID Ethiopia's foundational digital identification system that provides a unique 12-digit Fayda Identification Number (FIN) to all eligible residents, enabling biometric-based identification through fingerprint, iris, and facial recognition for real-time authentication and eKYC across all sectors.
• Fayda ID Mobile App A holistic mobile application providing secure access to Fayda ID details, updates, and notifications, allowing residents to manage their National ID from their smartphone. Available on iOS App Store and Google Play.
• Veri Fayda eKYC Service Online authentication service enabling seamless eKYC with one-time passwords (OTP), facial recognition via selfies, and fingerprint scans for robust and secure digital identity verification by service providers across banking, telecom, medical, and government sectors.
• Offline Authentication (FaydaEncode QR) Real-time offline identity verification using QR codes (FaydaEncode) on Fayda credentials, enabling quick privacy-preserving authentication without network connectivity.
• Fayda Offline Authenticator (Verifier App) Android APK application for scanning QR codes on identity cards for instant offline verification and authentication by verifiers.
• Card Print Service Physical ID card printing service available through two providers: Ethiopost (delivery at branches) and EthioTele (available at EthioTelecom service centers). Residents can order or reprint Fayda cards.
• Update Fayda (Demographic Update Service) Online service for correcting demographic details that were incorrectly entered during registration. Minor corrections can be done online; major changes require visiting a registration center with legal documents.

Quantifiable outcome

• Government-mandated adoption across all banks in Addis Ababa for account opening
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• IrisGuardcoreTechnology or IntegrationIrisGuard partnered with Ethiopia for iris-based biometrics implementation for benefits payments. This partnership enables secure biometric verification for government benefit distribution using iris scanning technology.
• MOSIP (Modular Open Source Identity Platform)coreTechnology or IntegrationMOSIP is the open-source digital ID platform powering the Fayda system. It provides the foundational technology for enrollment, credential management, and authentication capabilities.
• EthiopostcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEthiopost provides Fayda card printing and delivery services, allowing citizens to order and receive their physical ID cards at conveniently located post office branches across the country.
• EthioTelecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEthioTele provides Fayda card printing services at various EthioTelecom service centers, offering citizens an alternative location for obtaining their physical Fayda ID cards.
• National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBE mandated Faida digital ID requirement for all banks in Addis Ababa when opening new accounts, effective December 23, 2017. This government mandate drives adoption across the banking sector.
• Ministry of RevenuecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTax collection offices serve as registration centers for Fayda enrollment, providing citizens with access to digital ID registration at government revenue offices.
• DARS (Documents Authentication and Registration Service)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDARS provides registration services for Fayda ID, integrating document authentication with identity registration processes.
• Authentication Partners (Service Providers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerService providers across banking, telecom, medical, and government sectors integrate with NIDP's authentication APIs to perform eKYC verification using Fayda credentials, enabling seamless identity verification for service delivery.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• NADRA (National Database and Registration Authority, Pakistan): Pakistan's national ID authority operating biometric registration, eKYC, and credential issuance at population scale — comparable in mandate scope, multi-sector integration, and government-mandated financial KYC use cases.
• Directorate General of Population and Civil Registration — Dukcapil (Indonesia): Indonesia's civil registration agency operating the national e-KTP biometric ID system with multi-sector KYC integration — comparable in scale, biometric modalities, and use across banking and government services.
• Government Technology Agency (GovTech) Singapore — SingPass / NDI: Singapore's national digital identity platform providing biometric and credential-based authentication for government and private-sector services — comparable in scope, multi-credential wallet (MyInfo), and KYC API model.
• Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) — Aadhaar: Operates India's foundational biometric digital ID (Aadhaar) covering over 1.3 billion residents with multi-modal biometrics, KYC APIs, and mandated financial inclusion use cases — the largest comparable national IDV deployment to NIDP's Fayda.
• Kenya National Digital Master Plan / Huduma Namba: Kenya's foundational digital ID initiative with biometric enrollment and mandated linkage to government and financial services — directly comparable to Fayda in African context, mandate design, and KYC integration.
• Information System Authority (RIA) — Estonia e-Identity: Estonia's state-issued digital identity infrastructure with mandated use across government and private-sector e-services — a benchmark for foundational national digital ID with KYC and authentication APIs.
• Philippine Statistics Authority — PhilSys (National ID): Philippines' national digital ID system also built on the MOSIP platform, targeting ~110M registrants with biometric authentication and eKYC — directly comparable to NIDP in technology stack, mandate model, and population scale.

Others

• IrisGuard: Iris-based biometric verification technology partner to NIDP for benefits payments — directly comparable as a technology enabler and supplier in the Fayda ecosystem.

Regional players

• National Identification Authority (NIDA) — Rwanda: Rwanda's national ID authority issuing biometric national IDs with banking and telecom integration — comparable in African regional context, biometric design, and mandate-driven adoption model.

Emerging players

• MOSIP (Modular Open Source Identity Platform): Open-source digital ID platform on which NIDP is built; also powers Philippines PhilSys, Morocco, Sri Lanka, and others — a technology peer and ecosystem enabler rather than a competing issuer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IDethiopia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/idethiopia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National ID