Somali 2nd National ID Conference/ Shirwaynaha 2aad ee Aqoonsiga Qaranka Soomaaliyeed

24 Nov 2025, 08:00 → 25 Nov 2025, 16:00 Africa/Mogadishu

Hanger Hall

 

The 2nd Somali National ID Conference (SNIDC) represents a defining moment in Somalia’s journey toward inclusive and sustainable digital governance. It will bring together diverse stakeholders to reflect, learn, and collaborate on the role of digital identity in national transformation.

Under the leadership of the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), the conference will serve as a platform to exchange insights, forge partnerships, and co-create a roadmap for a trusted and citizen-centered identity ecosystem.

Together, we can transform identity into impact — making the Somali National ID a cornerstone for good governance, economic empowerment, and social inclusion, while building the foundation for a resilient and innovative digital Somalia.

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Nira conference Website

Monday 24 November

08:00 → 08:30 Arrival, Registration and Morning Coffee

Participants arrive, complete registration formalities, and enjoy a welcoming morning coffee while networking before the official start of the agenda.

09:00 → 09:10 TBD

Opening Ceremony: Qur’an Recitation & National Anthem

09:10 → 09:20 Mr. Abdiwali Ali Abdulle, Director General, NIRA

Welcome Remarks - Highlights on NIRA’s key progress, achievements, and conference objectives

09:20 → 09:30 Abdi Mohamed Jama Wayel, Minister of Interior, Galmudug

Remarks on behalf of FMSs : NIRA Expansion to Federal Member States

09:30 → 09:45 Dr. Joseph Atick, Executive Chairman, ID4Africa

Keynote 1: Digital ID as a Driver of National Transformation: Global best practices and lessons learned

09:45 → 10:00 Mr. Hideki Matsunaga, World Bank Country Manager

Keynote 2: The Role of Digital ID in Somalia’s Development World Bank’s commitment to digital development and to Somalia’s digital ID

10:00 → 10:15 Lieutenant General Muhammad Munir Afsar, Chairman, NADRA (Pakistan)

Special Address: Pakistan’s Role in Somalia’s ID Journey Technological support and cross-country collaboration

10:30 → 10:40 Amb. Francesca Di Mauro, EU Ambassador to Somalia

Remarks by the European Union (EU) :EU support for Somalia’s digital transformation

10:40 → 10:50 H.E. Amb. El Hadji Ibrahima Diene, Special Representative, AU

Remarks by the African Union (AU) :Regional alignment and collaboration

10:50 → 11:00 Mr. James Swan, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia

Keynote Speech by the United Nations Representatives :Global perspectives on digital identity for development

11:00 → 11:15 H.E. Ali Yusuf Ali, Minister of Interior

Opening Statement by the Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs, and Reconciliation Policy leadership in national ID and governance

11:15 → 12:00 H.E. Hamza Abdi Barre, Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia

Launch of NIRA Products : Hubiye Biometric System, eAqoonsi Digital App, Tirsi Platform.

Official Opening & Inaugural Keynote Address : Somalia’s commitment to a trusted and inclusive National ID system

12:00 → 13:30 Chair: H.E. Hamza Abdi Barre, Prime Minister, FRS Participants: World Bank, UN Agencies, Embassies, Development Partners, Private Sector.

Lunch Break (with a Parallel Working Lunch) : Working Lunch Topic: Building Somalia’s Digital ID Infrastructure – NIRA Headquarters and Federal Member State Offices

13:30 → 14:30 Panelists: 1. Mr. Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, Governor & Chairman of the Central Bank of Somalia 2. Dr. Abdullahi Abdi Omar, DG of Basic Education, Ministry of Education. 3. Mr. Sulaiman S. Umar, Director General, Ministry of Finance 4. DG Ibrahim Ahmed, Ministry of Commerce & Industry. Moderator: Mahad Wasuge, Director of Somali Public Agenda (SPA)

Panel 1: Digital ID as an Enabler of Service Delivery : Practical use cases – government and private sector services

14:30 → 15:00 NIRA Representative

Presentation: Communicating Identity – Building Public Trust in NIRA Showcasing NIRA’s communication strategies, social media metrics, and outreach initiatives

15:00 → 16:00 Panelists: 1. Fardosa Abdullahi, Baxnaano Project Coordinator, MoLSA 2. Mohamud Mo’allim, SoDMA Commissioner 3. Ms. Prestage Murima, IOM-Somalia Deputy Chief of Mission 4. Ms. Allison Oman, WFP Officer-in-Charge 5. Mr. Abdullahi Nur Osman, CEO, Hormud Salam Foundation Moderator: Mrs. Fadumo Mohamed, Strategic Advisor & Chief Programs Coordinator, MOIFAR

Panel 2: Digital ID as a Single Source of Truth – Enhancing Aid Efficiency and Fair Resource Distribution How a unified National ID system eliminates duplication across humanitarian and social protection programs, ensuring transparency, accountability, and inclusion in aid delivery

16:00 → 16:15 Ms. Mehnaz Safavian, Practice Manager, Digital Development, Eastern & Southern Africa, World Bank

Presentation: Where do we go from here: Improving NIRA’s Service Offerings
NIRA’s ongoing and planned initiatives through World Bank financing to deliver improved services to citizens

16:15 → 17:00 Prayer, Refreshments & Networking

ALL

Tuesday 25 November

08:00 → 09:00 Arrival, Registration and Morning Coffee

09:00 → 09:10 Mr. Abdirahman Said Ahmed, Deputy DG, NIRA

Welcome Remarks Overview and highlights of the agenda for Day 2

09:10 → 09:20 Mr. Osman Moallim Shatah, Chairperson of Somali Civil Society

Remarks on behalf of Somali Civil Society The role of Somali Civil Society in raising public awareness and promoting inclusion for the SNID

09:20 → 09:35 Dr. Abdinassir Sagar, PhD Fellow at Maastricht University

Research Presentation: e-Government and Institutional Authority in Fragile States Case study on digital identification systems in Somalia

09:45 → 10:00 Morning Coffee Break

10:00 → 11:00 Panelists: 1. Mahdi Abdikarim Daud, Executive Director, MFRPG, CBS 2. Dr. Ahmed Khadar Abdi, CEO, Somali Bankers Association 3. Ismail Mohamud, CEO, Somali Microfinance Association 4. Mohamed M. Mohamed, Director, Enterprise Services & Digital Use Cases, NIRA. 5. Abdullahi Egal, Head of Alternate Banking Channels, Dahabshil Bank International Moderator: Hassan Mudane, Operations Advisor, NIRA

Panel 3: Digital ID and e-KYC – Unlocking Financial Compliance and Inclusion Enabling digital finance, compliance, and innovation through identity systems

11:00 → 12:00 Panelists: 1. Mr. Mahdi Abdullahi, DG, Ministry of Communications & Technology 2. DG Mohamed Nur Ali, DPA 3. Dr. Isaac Ochieng, DG, eCitizen Kenya 4. Amjad Bhatti, Chief Technical Specialist, UNDP Moderator: Ms. Rahma Hassan, Digital ID Project Manager, UNDP

Panel 4: Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Trust frameworks, interoperability, data exchange and service integration

12:00 → 12:15 Coffee Break

ALL

12:15 → 13:15 Panelists: 1. Mohamed Isak, DG of EAC Affairs, MFA 2. Dr. Abdisalam H. Omar (Hadliye), EAC Parliament Member 3. Markus Topp, Senior Representative, UNHCR 4. Mohamed Karshe, IGAD Head of Mission to the FGS 5. Mr. Abdirahman Said Ahmed, Deputy DG of NIRA. Moderator: Abdirizak Warsame Abdulle, Vice President, Jamhuriya University of Science & Technology

Panel 5: Cross-Border Movement and ID Integration in the East Africa Community Exploring interoperability to facilitate secure cross-border movement and regional integration

13:15 → 14:30 Lunch & Prayer Break

14:30 → 15:15 Mohamed Juni, Director of Operations, NIRA Moderator: NIRA

Presentation: Mass Registration Strategies Scaling national ID registration through decentralized and mobile models
Closing Remarks & Way Forward Summary of key outcomes, commitments, and next steps

15:45 → 16:00 Deputy Prime Minister of the Federal Government of Somalia, H.E. Salah Ahmed Jama

Official Closing Address Reflections on national progress and commitment to Somalia’s Digital Transformation