By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Côte d’Ivoire has launched a
feasibility study for the implementation of a national authentication platform
and a digital identity wallet as the government moves to strengthen digital
public services and accelerate the transformation of public administration.
The study was officially
launched in Abidjan-Plateau by Djibril Ouattara, Minister of Digital Transition
and Technological Innovation.
The ceremony was attended by
Lieutenant General Vagondo Diomandé, Minister of the Interior and Security,
representatives of several sectoral ministries, as well as technical and
financial partners.
Initiated through the
Support Project for the Strengthening of Electronic Government (PARAE), the
feasibility study forms part of efforts to modernize public administration and
accelerate digital transformation in Côte d’Ivoire.
It will examine the
implementation of a national authentication platform and a digital identity
wallet, including the submission and verification of electronic attestations of
attributes that a citizen or resident can use to access a service, request or enforce
a right, or perform an obligation.
“This transformation calls
for strong governance and coherent and interoperable digital public
infrastructures,” Djibril Ouattara said.
He added that the study is
aligned with the vision of President Alassane Ouattara, who has placed digital
transformation at the heart of the modernization of the Ivorian State.
According to the minister, a
major challenge of the study will be determining how Côte d’Ivoire can develop
national capacity for digital authentication and verification of attributes
while providing simpler and more secure pathways for citizens and residents.
“The government expects this
study to provide a clear, realistic and operational trajectory that will allow
us to move from diagnosis to implementation,” he said.
Minister Vagondo Diomandé
said the modernization of public services must be accompanied by a strong focus
on security, stressing the importance of building confidence in digital
systems.
“For this reason, the study
plans to examine different levels of assurance as well as different
authentication scenarios,” he said.
“At the end of this process,
our collective responsibility is to ensure that the digital transformation
contributes to strengthening trust in public action,” Diomandé added.
The study is therefore
expected to provide a framework for Côte d’Ivoire to develop secure and
interoperable digital authentication capabilities as the government advances
its broader digital transformation agenda.
