The Fayda initiative, which aims to create a centralized digital ID system that streamlines access to public and private services, has already registered over 28 million citizens, according to the program’s coordinator Dejene Gebre.

The digital ID is becoming increasingly integrated into daily life, becoming a mandatory requirement for students taking national exams and for accessing services like banking, telecommunications, and passport issuance, according to local media.

The system is designed not only to digitize services but also to enable interoperability between different institutions, allowing citizens to access various services through a single digital identity, Gebre noted.

Officials highlighted the program’s successful integration with the education sector, where most students from primary school onward now use Fayda for academic registration, helping to create organized student records and combat fraudulent educational credentials.

Unregistered citizens can still sign up through various offices, banks, and Ethio Telecom branches across the country, according to Gebre.