Douala:Biya’s envoy inaugurates ultramodern ID card production facility

The inauguration ceremony took place in the economic capital on March 14 in the presence of regional and national authorities, including police boss, Martin Mbarga Nguélé and the Governor of the Littoral Region, Samuel Dieudonné Ivaha Diboua.

The Minister of State, Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, has inaugurated a new center dedicated to the production of national identity documents in Douala in the Littoral Region.  The inauguration ceremony took place on March 14. The Minister of State and Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic led the activities while acting as the presentative of the Head of State, President Paul Biya.

In his address, Minister Ngoh Ngoh emphasized that the center is a critical step forward in improving the production process of national identity cards. He highlighted that the initiative reflects the government’s ongoing commitment to modernizing Cameroon’s public administration and providing citizens with high-quality, secure identity documents. He further explained that the introduction of the new system is in line with the Head of State’s vision for a more efficient and streamlined government service delivery.  

The newly implemented system used for the issuance of national identity cards is designed to enhance the efficiency of public administration while addressing the need for better security and fraud prevention. The cards are equipped with advanced security features, including holograms and microtext, making them resistant to forgery. The new system also aims to speed up the process of issuing identity cards, ensuring that citizens can obtain their documents more quickly and efficiently.

Minister Ngoh Ngoh also urged for the swift completion of additional identity production centers in other cities such as Yaoundé and Garoua, as well as enrollment centers across the country’s regional and divisional capitals. The goal, the member of government said, is to provide widespread access to the new system, ensuring that citizens nationwide can benefit from the enhanced security and efficiency offered by the new cards.

Augentic, the company contracted to implement the new system, expressed its commitment to fulfilling the terms of the contract. Labino Carreti, the CEO of Augentic, discussed the specific elements of the contract, including the provision of 1,000 portable verification kits for law enforcement to enable real-time biometric authentication of identity documents. Additionally, Augentic will supply 1,000 enrollment stations, consisting of both fixed and mobile units, which will be deployed throughout the country to facilitate the enrollment process.

About newly-inaugurated system

The new national identity card system officially began on February 17 with online pre-enrollment. The biometric capture process started the following week, and by March 3, the first identity cards were issued to applicants. According to Augentic, the new cards meet international standards, following the International Civil Aviation Organization’s ID-1 portrait format, which ensures compatibility with global identification systems.

The new ID cards incorporate about 15 different security features, including visible and invisible elements designed to prevent counterfeiting. The cards also integrate the latest biometric technology, securely storing fingerprint and facial data in an embedded chip, which is resistant to tampering.