Ruptly
"Niger kicked off a mass enrollment campaign for its new biometric national identity card (CNIB) in Niamey on Saturday, as part of a regional push for coordinated identification systems across the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). Footage shows officials and military personnel at the launch event, with Niamey Governor Assoumane Abdou Harouna arriving, greeting others, and then addressing the audience alongside Interior Ministry Secretary General Ayouba. Niamey officials can also be seen undergoing biometric registration. "The launch of this mass registration drive is a confederal recommendation and will be a source of national pride," Abdou Harouna stated, calling the process capturing fingerprints, facial features, voice and iris scans to create a digital model that 'prevents any identity theft'. Interior Ministry Secretary General Ayouba highlighted that the card is a response to growing security and digital threats. "It guarantees the uniqueness, authenticity and protection of every citizen's identity." "It forms part of the Sahel States Alliance initiative and heralds the gradual integration of our identification systems," he noted, adding that the CNIB "paves the way for the future introduction of a common biometric passport." The campaign was launched by General Ayouba, following an earlier symbolic registration by Prime Minister Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine on April 9 and the official launch by the head of state, General Abdourahamane Tiani, on March 27. Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali formed the AES following military coups in all three countries, positioning the bloc as an alternative to Western-backed regional frameworks. The CNIB is among several initiatives aimed at deepening integration across the three member states."
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