Fostering the next generation of thinkers in digital identity

Digital ID plays an important role in the digital transformation of Africa by providing secure and convenient ways for residents to access services and a streamlined way for organizations to authenticate users. Due to this, several countries on the continent are transitioning toward national digital ID systems. However, the success and impact of a national digital ID program depend on its uptake and use cases. Currently, the majority of the use cases of digital ID in Africa are limited to elections, financial inclusion, and telecom — but there are many more opportunities for this technology to improve people's lives on the continent.

Carnegie Mellon University Africa’s Upanzi Network and MicroSave Consulting (MSC) have developed a series of regional hackathons across Africa to uncover some of these untapped opportunities through new innovative digital ID use cases. The hackathons, geared toward undergraduate and graduate students, are not only focused on developing and prototyping; they are part of a larger initiative to increase the technical capacity of participants, promote innovation, and foster the next generation of thinkers in the field of digital identity.

Local knowledge is needed to create sustainable solutions

To achieve sustainable implementation of digital ID within African countries, solutions need to be contextually aware and diverse. By educating students on the technology of digital ID, the initiative aims to empower young people to develop ideas that incorporate their own unique understanding of the needs of their communities and the nuances of their cultures.

Africa is diverse in its culture, language, and socio-economic conditions. With challenges on the continent — such as inconsistent internet access, limited digital literacy, and reliance on paper-based systems in many regions — much of the burden of a digital future rests on the strength of Africa's large youth demographic. If nurtured through capacity building, there is an important opportunity for grassroots innovation from young Africans.

Local capacity building is essential for creating contextually-aware solutions, as seen in one Kenyan institute’s efforts to leverage Digital Sequencing Information (DSI) for agriculture and livestock. Empowering local experts enabled the development of resilient and sustainable systems that addressed their region-specific challenges, such as genetic diversity and climate adaptability. Initiatives like the African BioGenome Project show that fostering local expertise enhances innovation, ensures equitable resource use, and integrates cultural and ecological contexts into solution design. The key takeaway is that global frameworks must prioritise local knowledge for impactful, long-term development.

Upskilling talent in Africa to lead the digital transformation

In an era where digital identities are becoming increasingly vital for access to services and opportunities, equipping Africans with skills and knowledge to harness the power of digital ID is of paramount importance.

The key value proposition for adopting open-source digital public goods is the promise of technology independence, making vendor lock-in a phenomenon of the past. However, if the adopting nations have no capacity to deploy, maintain, and govern these digital systems effectively, there will still remain an effective vendor lock-in.

The Digital ID Hackathon initiative includes an educational component for all participants. Before submitting their use cases, students participate in a free virtual course that equips them with a solid understanding of digital ID, its key features, and the technical aspects of digital ID platforms. The course covers essential topics, including privacy, real-world use cases, and in-depth explorations of MOSIP technologies such as Inji and eSignet.

As student teams progress through the hackathon, they are able to develop their ideas in the MOSIP Sandbox environment. They then receive mentorship from digital ID experts for guidance and support as they develop their prototypes for potential real-world applications.

This is an excerpt from a guest-written blog from the Upanzi Network at CMU-Africa on MOSIP's blog, mosip16.9. Read the full article.