The National ID Program, a.k.a Fayda, has met citizens with the kind of contention that bruises optimism. Many thought it would lighten the load of everyday transactions, but found themselves wrestling with unscannable QR codes and federal and regional institutions reluctant to accept ID cards. Stories are emerging, emblems of deeper systemic issues, from rejections at banks to sluggish enrollment times that turn a supposedly streamlined future into a stubborn present. The digital identity scheme seeks to unify a fragmented system of Wereda IDs and various local credentials to simplify governance and fight fraud. It arrives at a time of rapid rural-to-urban migration and escalating vulnerabilities in a paper-based system that cannot keep pace with the relentless churn of identity verification. Yet, the benefits promised are often locked behind technical misfires and institutional inertia.

While some institutions, like the Document Authentication & Registration Service (DARA), are pleased to rely on Fayda IDs to prevent fraudulent property sales, others lag behind. The Addis Abeba Driver & Vehicle Licensing & Control Authority requires both the new digital credentials and old Wereda IDs, leaving citizens caught in a tangle of outdated red tape. In this ambivalent atmosphere, Fayda’s early adopters are relieved and unsettled, unsure when — or if — the rest of the country’s offices would fully embrace it. Financial institutions have recognised the importance of implementing the ID system and are racing to safeguard against a relentless rise in bank fraud. With directives from the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE), major banks have invested in thousands of registration kits, hoping to channel the benefits of digital identification into more secure, transparent accounts. Yet, the rollout remains slow, impeded by import delays and misgivings among customers clinging to familiar forms of identification.