Tanzania is set to extend national identification to children below 18, in a move that will allow citizens to be recognised from childhood and make it easier to access public services throughout their lives.
Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba said the National Identification Authority (NIDA) would begin a pilot registration programme for children in three districts before rolling it out across the country.
The initiative is intended to close the identification gap between birth and adulthood, when Tanzanians currently become eligible for national identity cards, and establish a continuous record for every citizen from an early age.
Dr Mwigulu announced the plan yesterday during celebrations to mark World Identity Day at Mlimani City in Dar es Salaam.
“This system will help reduce the inconvenience of using multiple documents or identity cards when accessing different services because essential information about a citizen will continue to be recognised and stored in the national identification system,” he said.
The pilot will be conducted in Kilolo, Lungu and Kusini Unguja districts before being expanded to other areas.
As the government prepares to expand registration, authorities are also pushing citizens to collect identity cards that have already been produced.
Home Affairs Minister Patrobas Katambi said 27,520,835 people had been registered by NIDA, with 23,515,667 issued with National Identification Numbers.
He said the authority had produced 21,526,635 identity cards, meaning millions of registered citizens had yet to collect their cards.
Dr Mwigulu urged those whose cards are ready to collect them, saying the government had spent significant resources producing the documents.
“The government has incurred costs and postponed some development activities to provide identity cards. But when we produce a card and the person does not collect it, these are things that undermine the broader objectives,” he said.
NIDA has improved its notification system, including sending SMS messages to citizens when their cards are ready, he added.
“There is no reason for people who have already been registered and whose cards are ready to leave them uncollected for a long time,” Dr Mwigulu said.
The government is also upgrading the national identification system to respond to changing technology, strengthen data security and reduce the need for citizens to present multiple documents when accessing services.
NIDA Director General James Kaji said the authority should not be viewed merely as an institution that produces identity cards, arguing that national identification is a foundation for accessing services and establishing a citizen's identity throughout life.
He said NIDA was working towards a digital identity system capable of linking key records used in accessing public services.
These could include birth certificates, health insurance information, Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TINs), driving licences and other essential records.
Mr Kaji said health information, including blood group details, could also be incorporated to support emergency response, subject to medical verification.
He said registering children from birth would help ensure that they are identified early and can access essential social services more easily as they grow.
The initiative would also give the government a more continuous national identification system, reducing the gap between birth registration and adult identification.
The planned pilot in Kilolo, Lungu and Kusini Unguja will provide the basis for assessing the system before its wider implementation.