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Biometric Update | Scores of Cameroons this week began collecting their new generation national ID cards, marking a landmark era for ID card issuance in the country.
In Yaounde, hundreds of citizens have been visiting the only two issuance centers which are open for now to get their new cards, while those in other regional headquarters have been doing same.
Cameroon, represented by the General Delegation for National Security (DGSN), signed a 15-year contract in May with Augentic for the production of the ID cards which have a different physical and technological build from the old one.
Launched on February 17 with online pre-enrolment, the biometric capture phase of the new ID started on February 24, but issuance didn’t start until this week because a decree of the president, Paul Biya, to define detailed modalities for the card issuance, was still awaited.
The decree, which was signed by the head of state on February 28, paved the way for issuance of the ID from Monday March 3. The decree outlines regulations for the issuance of the identity card, defining various terms and specifying the different features and types of identity documents involved, which include the national identity card, residence card, refugee card, and the national disability card.
Some early photos from DGSN offices have been circulating since the start of the week on the Cameroonian social media space showing bundles of the newly printed cards, while other photos have shown applicants lining up to collect their IDs.
“I can’t believe my eye. I don’t know if there is a different definition of relief. I just got my card two days after I applied for it, something I have been unable to have for more than three years now,” Genevieve N. told Biometric Update this March 5, brandishing her new card.
Another applicant, who also just obtained his card, said: “This is a great achievement by the Cameroonian government. I am super excited that I was able to get my card at short notice. I received an SMS about 48 hours after, informing me that my ID card was ready.”
The new Cameroon ID card, produced within a period of 48 hours after a successful application process, is similar to the country’s new biometric passport regime launched in 2021. Augentic is in charge of producing both identity document.
The company says the card is designed with high security features and embedded with a biometric chip which can be verified digitally using hand-held scanners.
The development comes as a major relief for Cameroonian citizens, many of whom have suffered a lack of a national ID card for years. In the last five to ten years, obtaining a national ID in Cameroon has been one of the biggest headaches in the country.
In his end-of-year address to the nation on December 31, 2024, President Biya recognized the severity of the problem and told Cameroonians he had given firm directives for the problem to be solved so that eligible citizens can be able to register and vote in the presidential election billed for October. Having a national ID card is compulsory for voter registration in the country.
