Principal Secretary for the National Registration Bureau (NRB), Patrick Machika, has disclosed plans to introduce digital national identity cards that citizens will be able to access through their mobile phones as part of the government's drive towards digital transformation and improved public service delivery.

Machika made the announcement on Friday in Lilongwe during a stakeholders' consultative meeting on the review of the National Registration Act and the Marriage, Divorce, and Family Relations Act. The meeting was organized with financial support from the Digital Malawi Acceleration Project (DMAP).

The consultative meeting brought together a wide range of stakeholders, such as government ministries, departments, and agencies’ officials, traditional leaders, district commissioners, non-governmental organizations, legal practitioners, academicians, and representatives from various faith-based organizations.

According to Machika, the introduction of digital national identity cards is intended to reduce delays in issuing physical IDs, improve efficiency in registration services, and leverage modern technology to make identity services more accessible to citizens.

Machika: We will introduce digital IDs

"The world is moving towards digital solutions, and Malawi cannot afford to be left behind. The digital identity initiative will make it easier for citizens to access their identification documents while improving the efficiency of our systems," said Machika.

On the ongoing review of registration laws, Machika expressed concern that weaknesses in the current legal framework have enabled some individuals acting as witnesses for citizenship applicants to facilitate the acquisition of Malawian citizenship by foreigners who do not qualify.

He said the government is therefore reviewing laws governing citizenship and marriage registration to strengthen the integrity of the country's registration systems, ensure that only eligible individuals receive certificates, and enhance national security.

Machika further disclosed that the Bureau plans to work closely with traditional leaders and churches in issuing marriage certificates through the NRB.

However, Senior Chief Mlolo of Nsanje called on the Bureau to consider the challenges faced by child-headed households in rural communities.

Mlolo: Help child-headed households

She noted that many children heading families struggle to obtain national identity cards, a situation that prevents them from accessing social protection programs and other forms of assistance distributed at the village level.

Apart from the introduction of digital national identity cards, NRB is implementing several transformative initiatives under the Digital Malawi Acceleration Project (DMAP), such as the review of registration laws to support a modern and secure civil registration and identification system.