Somalia mandates digital ID; Sri Lanka plans 2026 launch

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Somalia has unveiled a new rule that requires its citizens to present a national digital identity (ID) to access banking services starting September 1.

In a recent statement, the Central Bank of Somalia (CBS) revealed that it has ordered all commercial lenders to demand the digital ID from customers seeking to open a new bank account or update an existing one. The Somali Bankers Association has reportedly supported the move.

The directive will first take effect in the southeastern region of Benadir, which includes the capital, Mogadishu. It will then be progressively rolled out to the rest of the country, although the central bank didn’t reveal the specific timeline.

In its statement, CBS noted that the move is in line with a directive by Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre requiring all private and public institutions to integrate digital IDs into their essential services.

It’s the latest effort supporting the country’s ambitious target of universal digital ID coverage. Somalia has one of the world’s lowest ID enrollment rates; according to its National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), less than 20% of its 20 million citizens possess a legal identity. The current unified legal ID infrastructure was only introduced in 2019 to replace the previous fragmented system. Still, the government has an ambitious target of issuing 15 million IDs over the next four years.

CBS says requiring digital IDs in banking transactions is an important first step.

“…these changes are part of the implementation of CBS’s electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) framework, which aims to enhance the security and integrity of customer identity verification processes in the financial sector,” the regulator said.

Somalis can obtain the new digital ID at NIRA service centers or bank branches authorized by the agency. The initiative is funded by the World Bank.

“We have made progress in the legal framework, in technology readiness, in enrolment, and also in use,” he told one outlet on the sidelines of ID4Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in June.

“We are setting up registration offices across the country, and we have also put in place mobile teams that move from one community to another to take care of those who are not able to access the fixed registration sites,” he added.

Sri Lanka targets April 2026 launch for digital ID

Elsewhere, Sri Lanka plans to launch a new digital ID system by April next year, the country’s Digital Economy Ministry has announced.

Sri Lanka has long relied on a physical ID system, but with the global economy becoming increasingly digitalized, the government is racing to catch up.

The new system will be built atop the Modular Open-Source Identity Platform (MOSIP), the World Bank-backed open-source digital ID platform used by the Philippines, Ethiopia, Morocco, and others. It’s being funded by the Indian government to the tune of Rs. 10.4 billion ($120 million) to “minimize the financial strain on the Sri Lankan government.”

Under the new system, the Department for Registration of Persons will handle all the collected data, only after a full security audit is conducted by the country’s cybersecurity agency, Sri Lanka CERT. The data will be encrypted during transmission and storage and will be accessible to citizens via a mobile app.

“This is a long-term investment in the nation’s future. It will simplify public service access, enable secure digital transactions, and strengthen data privacy. We urge the public and stakeholders to support the initiative based on facts, not fear,” the Ministry commented.

Sri Lanka has one of the highest ID enrolment rates globally, with 95% of the adult population estimated to hold a national identity card (NIC).

Watch: Why using transparent ledger for digital identity ensures trust