MONROVIA – In a policy shift, the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL), in partnership with the National Identification Registry (NIR), has instructed all commercial banks to suspend the mandatory use of the National Identification Card for banking transactions. The directive, issued on Monday, June 23, 2025, also comes with an immediate suspension of the issuance of ID cards, citing administrative reasons. The public will be informed at a later date when mass enrolment will resume.
The announcement follows mounting frustration from citizens over the difficulties associated with obtaining the ID cards. A press release signed by Acting Minister Johnny S. Tarkpah further instructed all public social service providers to comply with the new directive.
While the NIR had recently extended the national ID registration deadline to August 31, 2025, in an attempt to address public dissatisfaction, the extension did little to resolve widespread concerns. Many Liberians have complained about long lines, inadequate enrollment infrastructure, and limited access in rural areas.
Civil society advocate Anderson D. Miamen sharply criticized the policy on his official Facebook page on June 18. “What was the government even thinking to make usage of the national identification card compulsory for bank and other transactions, when it was not fully prepared to deal with the associated demands?” he wrote. Miamen emphasized the importance of the ID system but argued that requiring it without sufficient infrastructure was ill-advised.
He called on the government to provide financial and logistical support to the NIR and deploy trained mobile registration teams across the country, especially in hard-to-reach districts. “This is a great initiative,” he added. “Let’s do it right such that everyone is happy to go and obtain their ID card.”
The NIR’s decision to extend the deadline was influenced by a joint investigation conducted by FrontPage Africa and New Narratives, which highlighted public frustration with the current ID process. Numerous citizens reported being denied essential services due to the lack of a valid national ID. Responding to the criticism, NIR Executive Director Andrew Peters held a press conference assuring the public that improvements were on the way. “We are giving you a time frame of two months, 15 days, where mass deployment will take place,” Peters said.
In an editorial, Smart News Liberia echoed Miamen’s concerns, stating that although the government’s effort to streamline identification is commendable, the approach has been rushed and poorly executed. Without proper infrastructure in place, particularly outside urban centers, the policy could widen inequality instead of closing gaps.
This latest development also comes in the wake of Executive Order #147 issued by President Joseph Boakai, which mandates all citizens and foreign residents to enroll in the National Biometric Identification System (NBIS) as a prerequisite for accessing public and private services. The order is part of a broader effort to enhance governance and curb corruption.
To support this initiative, the Civil Service Agency (CSA) and the NIR signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on May 27, 2024. The agreement allows the CSA to access NIR’s e-verification portal for real-time employee validation. That initiative alone saved the Liberian government an estimated US$2.5 million by eliminating ghost names from the national payroll.
The MoU also mandates that all civil service employees must have ID cards linked to their National Identification Numbers and encourages seamless data sharing between the CSA and NIR. The NIR has committed to hosting CSA’s data infrastructure on its servers to reduce redundancy and optimize data management.
Despite these long-term goals, the latest reversal signals a recognition by the government that successful national identification requires not just mandates but meaningful access. As the Boakai administration moves forward, the public will be watching to see whether the promise of inclusivity and digital governance becomes a reality for all Liberians.
