By Kruah Thompson
MONROVIA, August 17, 2026 — The Government of Liberia has completed the procurement process for an Austrian technology company to develop a new national biometric identification system under a public-private partnership arrangement, the National Identification Registry (NIR) has disclosed.
The proposed system is intended to address technical and financial challenges that have affected the NIR and prepare the agency for the mass enrollment of Liberian citizens and legal residents.
Daniel Sloh Sargbe, Communications Director of the NIR, disclosed that the procurement process for the Austrian firm has been completed and a concession agreement finalized.
According to Sargbe, the agreement was developed through the relevant inter-ministerial committee between the selected company and the Government of Liberia, represented by the NIR and the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA).
The agreement has been submitted to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai for approval and is subsequently expected to be forwarded to the Legislature for ratification.
The development comes more than a year after the government suspended the issuance of national biometric identification cards on June 23, 2025, to address challenges affecting the Registry and establish a new biometric identification infrastructure.
Sargbe said several government institutions participated in consultations and coordination surrounding the concession process.
They included the LTA, Central Bank of Liberia, National Elections Commission, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, President’s Delivery Unit, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, Ministry of Justice and the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission.
According to him, the involvement of those institutions was intended to ensure compliance with applicable procurement and concession laws.
He rejected allegations circulating on social media questioning the procurement process, maintaining that the required government institutions participated in the exercise.
The NIR is now hoping that the Legislature will prioritize the concession agreement once it is submitted for ratification.
Sargbe said speedy ratification would pave the way for implementation of the new system, resumption of NIR services and continuation of the mandatory mass enrollment exercise ordered by President Boakai under Executive Order 147.
Meanwhile, the Registry has begun preparations to expand enrollment infrastructure across the country ahead of the planned nationwide exercise.
NIR Executive Director Andrew Peters recently led a delegation to Lofa County to engage local authorities and oversee preparations for establishing enrollment offices, beginning in Salayea, according to Sargbe.
The initiative is expected to expand to other counties and districts as the Registry prepares for nationwide enrollment.
The NIR has acknowledged the inconvenience caused by the prolonged suspension of national identification services and thanked the public for its patience.
The Registry said it will provide further information on the legislative ratification process, migration to the new system and the eventual resumption of identification services.
The NIR is responsible for establishing and maintaining a national identification system and issuing unique identification credentials to Liberian citizens and legal residents.
Authorities say the proposed biometric system is expected to strengthen identity management and support access to services including banking, telecommunications, elections and social protection.
The Registry said it remains committed to establishing a secure, inclusive and sustainable national identification system capable of providing reliable identification services across Liberia.
