Accra, July 6, GNA – The Gambia has launched its first unified National Identity Management System (GAM ID) to strengthen digital transformation, national security and public service delivery.
The ECOWAS-compliant system, delivered through a Public-Private Partnership between the Government of The Gambia and Ghanaian indigenous technology company, Margins ID Group, was launched under the theme: “One Identity, One Nation: Advancing Inclusion, Security and Digital Transformation in The Gambia.”
President Adama Barrow, who received the country’s first national identity card at the launch, described the initiative as a historic milestone in The Gambia’s nation-building efforts.
The launch ceremony began with the inauguration of the National Identity Management System Data Centre at Abuko and was attended by cabinet ministers, diplomats, development partners and senior government officials.
President Barrow said the system would provide every Gambian with a secure, trusted and verifiable identity through a single national identity register, enhance public service delivery, improve government planning, strengthen national security and support the country’s digital economy.
He commended Margins ID Group for providing the technology, financing, technical expertise and long-term operational support for the project, while stressing that ownership of the system remained with the people of The Gambia.
The President said the partnership was creating jobs, building local capacity and demonstrating the capability of African technology companies to deliver sovereign digital infrastructure.
The National Data Centre, developed by Margins ID Group, will support biometric enrolment, credential management, identity authentication and real-time verification services while ensuring that The Gambia’s identity database is hosted and protected within the country.
Mr Amadou Nyang, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Interior, said the GAM ID platform would serve as the foundation for a connected government by enabling ministries, departments and agencies to securely share verified information from a single trusted source of identity.
Prof. Abdulkarim Jalloh, Director-General of the Gambia ICT Agency, said the system would reduce duplication and eliminate the need for citizens to repeatedly submit personal information to different state institutions.
Delivering the keynote address, Mr Moses Kwesi Baiden Jr., Chief Executive Officer of Margins ID Group, said the launch marked the culmination of years of collaboration and mutual trust between the Government of The Gambia and the Ghanaian technology company.
He said trusted digital identity had become a critical pillar of modern economic development and that the platform would support future e-government services, digital payments, e-commerce and financial inclusion while helping to protect citizens against fraud and identity theft.
“As Africa embraces Digital Public Infrastructure, the GAM ID project demonstrates what African governments and African technology companies can achieve when they work together,” he said.
To support nationwide implementation, Margins ID Systems Applications Limited donated 17 operational vehicles to the Ministry of Interior to facilitate biometric registration and deployment activities across the country.
The Ministry announced that a nationwide continuous registration exercise would begin on August 4, 2026, following a pilot registration programme that commenced on July 6.
The Government also announced that possession of the new National Identity Card would become mandatory for obtaining a driver’s licence, while foreign residents would be required to obtain a Resident or Alien Identity Card before accessing similar services.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey