Digital transformation (DT) in the public and private sectors is an essential strategy for a successful digital government. Digital transformation and technologies are fast becoming a trend in countries worldwide, and the truth be told, it is changing society and quality of life.
Through digital transformation, countries aim to change their ways of working with stakeholders, redesign their processes and form new means of communication with the citizens. However, many countries are lagging on digital transformation while some conflict with themselves on whether they should embrace the new trend fully or keep living their lives the usual way.
This article discusses digital transformation in Morocco, and the Moroccan digital identity.
There are approximately 1 billion people in the world who have no means of identification, and African residents make up more than half of that number. This implies that African residents without identification cannot have access to basic social and economic rights or cannot work official jobs.
In Morocco, most citizens lack identification, prompting its government to introduce digital technologies, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. These innovations include introducing vaccine passports, Covid-19 tracking technologies, and facial recognition systems.
However, some Moroccan citizens have expressed concern about introducing digital technologies because they think the government is harming its citizens and infringing on their basic human rights. It seems the Moroccan government is unshaken by these controversies because they’ve implemented another new initiative, a means of proper identification: the National Electronic Identity Card (CNIE).
Morocco’s Digital Transformation: Digital Identity Cards
The Moroccan government launched its first digital identification system in Rabat in April 2022. The two organizations responsible for this are the Digital Development Agency (ADD) and the Directorate of National Security (DGSN).
The Moroccan National Electronic Identity Cards (CNIE) enable its holders (the citizens) to identify themselves as Moroccans both in and out of the country. They can present their electronic card to any agents of authorized institutions for scanning (like the DGSN) and prove their identity.
Also, users don’t need to make trips to any agency for authentication; they can access this feature from the comfort of their homes. They can scan their National Electronic Identity Cards using an NFC reader connected to their smartphone or PC.
Also, users are free to include extra security on their National Electronic Identity Cards, such as biometric fingerprint scans and facial recognition.
How do Morocco’s Digital Identity Cards work?
The Moroccan government has chosen to work with third-party platforms to have an effective and productive digital ID system. The Moroccan government works with the Modular Open-Source Identity Platform (MOSIP) to improve the platform, and they work with IDEMIA as a biometric solution provider. Although the user’s personal information is shared with these third-party platforms, the DGSN ensures that all personal data is secured.
Dr. Omar El Alami of Morocco’s Ministry of Interior discussed the new system in a Livecast hosted by ID4Africa. The National Population Registry must provide unique registration for everyone, including minors and expatriates, so they can collect their biometric and demographic data.
This registry also ensures a secured identity verification service both online and physically. The registry also works with other systems to ensure each citizen has their particular digital number, their social identifier. The registry can be trusted because it uses biometric and demographic data.
Also, the network’s security is enforced by its multi-factor authentication (MFA); this is a process whereby the user has to confirm their identity more than once using verification steps.
Nine million citizens have accessed the National Electronic Identity Cards; they’re already using its services through the official website. Moroccan digital identity cards are among the many innovations and technology the Moroccan government will use to improve digital transformation in the country.
Governance: From e-government to digital government
One of the significant challenges that most government face is the switch from e-government (paper-based processes) to digital government. The Moroccan government should bear in mind that this switch may not precisely be easy since most of its citizens are not digitally inclined.
For the digital government to work, the Moroccan government should have a comprehensive digital strategy. This would help the government lay a better foundation for any digital innovation
Conclusion
Considering that not all Moroccans are digitally educated, the government needs to train more citizens to cope with the challenges of the new digital environment. This way, citizens will benefit more from the digital transformation programs, and there will be fewer controversies.
Sources:
https://www.oecd.org/gov/digital-government-review-of-morocco-9789264298729-en.htm
https://identityreview.com/moroccan-digital-identity-expanding-accessibility/
