Rwanda’s digital ID project to cost over Rwf 100 billion

By The Inspirer.

The Ministry of ICT and Innovation has announced that Rwanda’s Digital Identity Project will cost an estimated $70 million (over Rwf 101 billion) upon completion.

Launched in 2023, the project aims to modernize Rwanda’s national identification system and improve access to public services through digital integration.

According to Minister of ICT and Innovation, Paula Ingabire, the World Bank has been a key partner in establishing the digital ID system, investing over $48 million (around Rwf 69 billion).

However, she noted that more funding is still needed. “The current budget is not enough to achieve all our objectives. To complete the entire system, we need about $70 million,” she said in an interview with RBA.

Minister Ingabire explained that the project involves both building new digital infrastructure and upgrading existing services to operate under the new ID system. “It’s about enabling every service that currently relies on the national ID to function digitally — including providing the necessary devices to deliver those services,” she said.

While Rwanda continues to attract international partners to support this transformation, the government is also contributing its own resources.

In the 2024/2025 fiscal year, the project was allocated Rwf 5.39 billion, and for 2025/2026, the allocation increased to Rwf 12.26 billion.

Traditionally, Rwanda’s national ID was issued to citizens aged 16 and above, foreign residents, and refugees. The new digital ID will extend coverage to Rwandans, foreign residents, refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons, migrants, and children found without guardians.

Minister Ingabire said the reform will simplify access to services:
“Many people — especially those without identification — have been unable to access basic services. With the digital ID, all your data will be integrated, meaning you’ll even be able to open a bank account without visiting a branch physically.”

The new digital ID will exist in multiple forms: a physical smart card, a QR code that can be stored on a phone or computer, and a digital token used for secure access to personal information — distinct from the traditional ID number.

Unlike before, carrying a physical ID card will no longer be necessary when seeking services.

The National Identification Agency (NIDA) recently launched a pre-enrollment platform allowing citizens to verify and correct their civil registry details — a key step before rolling out the digital ID. So far, more than 3,300 people have registered through the platform since its official launch on August 7, 2025, during the Kigali International Trade Fair, and later at the Indangamirwa National Itorero program.

The pre-enrollment phase will soon expand nationwide, starting with the Huye, Gisagara, and Nyanza districts in the Southern Province, where residents will verify their personal data and provide biometric information. Two registration sites have been set up in each sector, and well-trained agents will handle the process to ensure accuracy.

The biometric data to be collected include iris scans, fingerprints, and facial images. Children under five will only have their photo captured, as their biometric features are still developing.

Over 1,144 agents have already been trained to assist citizens with data corrections and biometric registration between October and December 2025, with the number expected to grow to 2,500 by May 2026.

“By December, we’ll have reached nine districts. The remaining 21 will be covered by May 2026,” said Minister Ingabire. “Our goal is to complete nationwide data collection by the end of that period.”

The new system will streamline personal data categories — from 27 datasets previously to just nine — to ensure efficiency and accuracy. These will include names, parents’ names, contact information, residence, and place of birth, among others.

By May 2026, Rwanda is expected to become the first African country to fully implement a nationwide digital identity system within the scheduled timeframe — ahead of other nations that began earlier but are still in progress.