Monrovia – Amid mounting public frustration over delays in the issuance of Liberia’s National Identification Cards, the Government of Liberia has announced the immediate suspension of the ID card program. Simultaneously, the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL), in collaboration with the National Identification Registry (NIR), has instructed financial institutions to relax enforcement of the National ID Card as a requirement for banking transactions.
In a joint release, authorities cited “administrative reasons” for the suspension, noting that the public would be informed when mass enrollment resumes.
By Jaheim T. Tumu | [email protected]
“The issuance of the National Identification Cards is hereby suspended with immediate effect for administrative reasons. The public will be informed of the date of resumption of mass enrolment,” the release stated.
The move follows growing national scrutiny over persistent setbacks in the rollout of the biometric Citizen ID Card system. The House of Representatives has summoned top NIR officials to provide clarity on the challenges stalling the process.
In a separate statement, Acting Information Minister Johnny S. Tarkpah urged all public and private service providers to comply with the suspension directive.
CBL, NIR Backtrack After Boakai’s Executive Order Sparks Backlash
The abrupt policy shift comes in the wake of Executive Order 126, recently signed by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, which mandated the use of the National ID Card for all official transactions, including banking, public service access, and check encashment.
While the Executive Order aimed to improve identity verification and streamline public service delivery, its implementation has been marred by chaos. Thousands of citizens—despite completing registration, biometric capture, and payment—have yet to receive their ID cards, effectively locking them out of essential services.
The situation has prompted backlash from both citizens and lawmakers.
This week, the House of Representatives’ Plenary summoned the leadership of the NIR following a formal communication from Rep. Moima Briggs-Mensah of Bong County District #6.
Rep. Briggs-Mensah, Chair of the House Committee on Gender Equity, Child Development, and Social Services, described the situation as a “national embarrassment.”
“Rural residents, government employees, contractors, and vulnerable groups are unable to access critical financial services due to delays in receiving their national ID cards,” she wrote.
She further criticized the ID requirement for banking transactions, arguing that it unfairly burdens citizens, especially those outside Monrovia, and called for the Liberian passport—a globally recognized form of identification—to be exempted from the policy.
“This Executive Order on the NIR is a serious issue. Most of the designated places for the Citizen ID card aren’t working. This is frustrating our people. The NIR officials must come here to explain a way forward,” she emphasized during her address to Plenary.
The Bigger Picture: National ID or National Headache?
Executive Order 126 was intended to formalize national identity, improve public sector accountability, and enhance financial transparency. However, operational failures—including non-functional enrollment centers, lengthy delays in card issuance, and poor public communication—have highlighted significant administrative shortcomings.
Critics argue that the government’s heavy reliance on a dysfunctional ID system has inadvertently disenfranchised thousands of Liberians from public services, payrolls, and banking access—the very issues the system was meant to resolve.
Now, with the ID program suspended and banks instructed to relax enforcement, both citizens and lawmakers await answers—and urgent reforms—from the leadership of the National Identification Registry.
