Session
Speaker 1: Naohiro Fujie, Technical Community, Asia Pacific
Speaker 2: Debora Comparin, Technical Community, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 3: Tor Alvik (Digdir), Government, Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Speaker 4: Dr. Jimson Olufuye, Private Sector, African Group
Speaker 5: Dr. Kossi Amessinou, Government, Africa Group
Speaker 6: Engr. (Dr.) Abisoye Coker-Adusote, Government, African Group
Roundtable
Duration (minutes): 90
Format description: We believe the roundtable setting is ideal for our session as it will help us fulfil our objective of deep engagement since it is free from distractions and encourages individuals to intimately participate and contribute to the topic of discussion. The session duration on the other hand is deemed necessary to accommodate the perspective of all the speakers regarding the topic, policy questions and ultimately allow questions and interactions from the audience.
1. What practical steps, including intersessional work, can be taken to explore the use of existing Sustainable and Interoperable Digital Identity (SIDI) tools in the context of enhancing the African Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) proposal, while ensuring the safeguarding of national sovereignty?
2. How can policymakers leverage examples and shared experiences of successful Interoperable Digital Identity (IDI) implementations to inform and support the development of IDI systems in Africa, ultimately enhancing economic activity and promoting regional integration?
What will participants gain from attending this session? Participants attending this session will gain a deeper understanding of how interoperable digital identity systems can be strategically leveraged to uphold national sovereignty while advancing regional integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). They will explore real-world case studies, technical models, and policy frameworks that balance data control with cross-border functionality, enhancing their capacity to influence and implement sovereign-aligned digital identity initiatives. The session will also offer actionable insights, foster multi-stakeholder collaboration, and equip participants with the knowledge needed to shape inclusive, secure, and future-ready digital identity ecosystems that support both national priorities and Africa’s broader economic objectives.
Description:
This session will explore how the evolving techniques and frameworks developed for interoperable digital identity systems can also serve as strategic tools for reinforcing national sovereignty in the digital age. As Africa moves forward with the ambitious African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), there is a growing need for systems that enable secure, seamless cross-border identification and verification.
Yet, this push for integration raises critical concerns about sovereignty, particularly around data governance, control over digital infrastructure, and the preservation of DLDCs autonomy in shaping identity frameworks. The workshop will examine how countries can leverage existing technical standards and governance mechanisms for digital identity, not only to foster interoperability and inclusion, but also to embed safeguards that uphold sovereign control over citizen data and national security interests.
By unpacking real-world examples and lessons learned from regional and continental digital ID initiatives, participants will critically assess how interoperability and sovereignty can coexist and even reinforce each other. The session will also look into how DLDCs can collaboratively define standards, policies, and trust frameworks that reflect shared values, while respecting each country's unique legal, cultural, and political contexts.
Understanding among participants of how interoperable digital identity systems can be designed to uphold national sovereignty while advancing regional integration under the AfCFTA. The session aims to produce actionable policy and technical recommendations that can guide the development of sovereign digital ID frameworks across Africa and beyond. It will also foster alignment among key stakeholders (governments, private sector, civil society, and the technical community) on the need for harmonized standards. Additionally, the workshop will promote knowledge exchange, build capacity, and identify concrete pathways for regional collaboration in areas such as trust frameworks, governance structures, and infrastructure sharing.
Hybrid Format: There would be an online moderator to interface between the online participants and the onsight moderator. She would bring questions and important comments to the awareness of the onsight moderator. The Online audience will be encouraged to participate in the use of digital tools such as Mentimeter or slido.
Report
Co -Hosts: African ICT Alliance & Sustainable and Interoperable Digital Identity (SIDI) HUB
Key Theme: Digital Trust and Resilience
Time: Wednesday, 25 June 2025 from 9:00 - 10:30 am Lillestrøm time
Location: NOVA Spektrum, Workshop Room 6, Hall C
Executive Summary
Key Takeaway 1: Multistakeholder Efforts Help Bridge the Digital Divide
Digital identity is foundational for inclusion and development, serving as a gateway to essential services such as banking, education, healthcare, and mobility. Without recognized identities, individuals remain digitally invisible and economically marginalized. By enabling early enrollment such as Nigeria’s issuance of NIN at birth, countries can ensure long-term inclusion and establish robust citizen registries. Identity is also central to bridging Africa’s digital divide and achieving inclusive digital transformation across sectors. Successes in digital identity are not evenly distributed across countries or regions, so sharing best practices from leading countries, leading regions, and leading multistakeholder projects like the Sustainable and Interoperable Digital Identity (SIDI) Hub can help close the gaps so all jurisdictions and their residents benefit.
Key Takeaway 2: Interoperability is Vital, but not Inevitable
For the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to succeed, cross-border interoperability of digital identities is vital. Seamless identity verification across borders will facilitate the free movement of people, goods, and services, which are key to digital trade. Digital identity systems must therefore be embedded in AfCFTA’s digital trade protocols. Successful national models like Nigeria’s integrated NIN ecosystem and Benin’s “It’s Me” biometric ID card, which is interoperable within the ECOWAS region, demonstrate what is possible and should be adapted and scaled regionally. Similarly, lessons can also be gleaned from outside Africa, such as from the Nordic and Baltic states’ collaboration (Nobid project), the EU’s eIDAS 2.0 (the European Digital Identity Wallet), and Japan’s bilateral relationships within and beyond Asia. Interoperability of digital identity within a country, region, or globally is not inevitable. It will require consistent, concentrated effort by stakeholders within jurisdictions and across jurisdictions to realize sustainable, and scalable outcomes.
Key Takeaway 3: Collaboration to Enable Digital Sovereignty
Digital identity systems must preserve national sovereignty. Countries must retain data sovereignty through strong data protection laws, trust frameworks, and regulatory alignment. Political will and institutional commitment, such as Nigeria’s high-level support for universal enrollment, are essential to sustain momentum and implementation. However, disparities in digital readiness across African countries mean that support must be tailored to each state’s level of infrastructure and policy maturity. Cybersecurity and digital monitoring infrastructure (such as certification capabilities) must be prioritized to ensure resilience. Sustained progress will rely on multistakeholder collaboration among governments, private sector actors, civil society, technical community, and international partners. This collaboration can be achieved through mechanisms like ECOWAS, the African Union, Smart Africa, and multistakeholder projects like SIDI Hub.
Session Call to Action #1: Regional Pilots for Interoperability
To accelerate cross-border digital identity integration in Africa, countries should begin by implementing regional interoperability pilots between states with advanced systems, such as the pilots between Nigeria and Cameroon or Benin and Ghana. These pilots will provide practical insights into cross-border functionality and help identify legal, technical, or user-experience gaps. Pragmatic proof of concepts (POCs) can help ensure champion use cases are delivered that empower people and deliver playbooks for expansion within and across regions.
Session Call to Action #2: Aligning Policies and Technical Standards
African governments must also develop national policies that leverage international standards to enable interoperability while respecting national sovereignty. This includes mapping trust frameworks (or legal and policy stacks) and ensuring compatibility with regional and global identity protocols. In parallel, investments in cryptographic infrastructure are critical to maintaining the integrity, privacy, and authenticity of digital credentials. To ensure the technical backbone of digital identity systems is robust, states should support technical workstreams focused on the development of open standards, digital wallet systems, and trusted identity frameworks that can work across borders.
Session Call to Action #3: Adopt a Public-Private and Whole-of-Society Approach
Lastly, driving success in digital identity adoption requires strong collaboration between public and private sector stakeholders to localize solutions and test innovations through practical pilots. Public trust and engagement are equally vital, so governments should promote awareness through education campaigns, explaining the benefits, rights, and protections associated with digital IDs. Finally, to encourage widespread use, link digital identity to real-life incentives, such as access to student transport discounts (e.g. Japan), health services (e.g. Nigeria), or mobile banking (e.g. SIDI Hub Champion use case to “open a bank account”), making digital ID a valuable and relevant tool in citizens’ daily lives.
For the Full Rapporteur Notes See here: https://openid.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/290-Sovereignty-and-Inter…
For the Presentation See here: https://openid.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Workshop-6_2506_Sovreignt…
