South Sudan advances civil registry plans through Nigeria, Ethiopia engagements

South Sudan is exploring ways to strengthen its civil registration and digital identity systems following high-level engagements and study visits to Nigeria and Ethiopia by the Directorate of Civil Registry, Nationality, Passports and Immigration.

Gen. Achol Cyier Rehan, director-general of the directorate, traveled to Nigeria and Ethiopia as part of efforts to learn from established identity-management systems and explore technical cooperation.

On Sept. 16, Rehan attended Nigeria’s National Identity Day celebrations at the Presidential Villa in Abuja after being invited by Abisoye Coker-Odusote, director-general of Nigeria’s National Identity Management Commission.

On the sidelines of the event, the two officials held talks on cooperation, knowledge sharing and best practices in integrated civil registry management.

“We did not come just to attend, but to share experiences, build up our systems, and emphasize finding solutions as Africans to African problems,” Rehan said.

“Identity is not just the provision of a document; it is a recognition of identification, unity and inclusivity,” she said.

Rehan then led a South Sudanese delegation on a study tour of Ethiopia’s FAYDA digital identification system, including visits to Ethiopia’s civil registry authorities.

The tour provided the delegation with practical insights into modern approaches to digital identification and civil registration.

Rehan commended Ethiopia’s FAYDA system and expressed South Sudan’s interest in obtaining technical support and expertise to develop a modern and robust civil registry system.

The engagements are part of South Sudan’s broader efforts to strengthen identity management and civil registration infrastructure, which are important for access to public services, documentation and inclusion.