Cameroon hires biometric firm AUGENTIC to issue ID cards
Cameroon has signed a build-operate-transfer agreement with the German biometric technology company AUGENTIC to modernise the country's national identity card insurance system.
The agreement was signed yesterday in Yaounde by Cameroon's delegate general for national security, Martin Mbarga Nguele, and AUGENTIC's CEO, Labinot Carreti.
According to the agreement, the digital identity solutions provider will finance, design, develop, install, and operate the identification system in Cameroon for the next 15 years.
In addition to three production facilities in Yaounde, Douala, and Garoua, the contractor is anticipated to construct 68 multipurpose enrolment centres, remodel 219 existing registration centres, and outfit all with modern machinery.
AUGENTIC is anticipated to invest a total of €70 million to complete these project.
The company's CEO, Carreti, stated that the first set of the unique identity cards with security features will be issued by the end of 2024.
He added that they were in talks with the government to develop a suitable transition plan to move from the present to the new system.
In addition to ID cards, AUGENTIC will produce residency permits, refugee cards, national disability cards, and police professional cards.