The ID4Africa 2023 Annual General Meeting (AGM) kicked off yesterday and will extend until 25 May. This AGM, held in Nairobi, Kenya, unfolds as a three-day in-person gathering. It is expected to serve as a convergence point for approximately 1500 regional and international experts and practitioners who share a common dedication to identity development. This year's AGM focuses on the theme 'Digital Identity as Public Infrastructure,' which will fuel insightful discussions and exchanges among participants.

The discussion will centre around strategies to improve user engagement and ensure the long-term viability of identity schemes by enabling crucial and influential use cases. This conversation draws insights from the progress made by various innovative programs across Africa. Additionally, it will explore successful implementations of digital identity in countries outside of Africa. These examples have comprehensively covered their entire population by establishing effective incentives that make their identification systems valuable and appealing.

ID4Africa, established in 2014, is a Pan-African Movement dedicated to supporting African nations in developing resilient and responsible identity ecosystems for development and humanitarian purposes. The movement strongly advocates for ensuring identity for all individuals, considering it not only as a legal entitlement in alignment with SDG 16.9 but also as a practical prerequisite for accessing essential services. ID4Africa emphasises the importance of inclusive identity systems prioritising privacy and human rights, recognising them as critical for driving economic growth and facilitating the government's digital transformation.