Monrovia, Liberia – In a step that authorities believe would enhance Liberia’s national identity and enrollment system and save millions of taxpayer dollars, the National Elections Commission on Wednesday turned over more than 500 biometric voter registration kits to the National Identification Registry.
Representatives from the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), two of Liberia’s most important development partners, as well as senior government officials and politicians attended the handover event at NEC headquarters in Monrovia.
The transfer was a significant step in Liberia’s digital governance initiatives, according to NEC Chairperson Davidetta Browne Lansanah, who also praised the government for funding the purchase of 1,150 biometric kits. She also expressed gratitude to Liberia’s foreign partners and the technical teams of NEC and NIR for their support of the agreement that supported the transfer.
The contribution, according to NIR Executive Director Andrew Peters, greatly increases the agency’s enrollment capacity and lessens the need for the government to buy new technology. Long-standing institutional conflicts over data sharing and system ownership were additionally addressed by Peters.
According to the NIR Boss, the partnership began in May 2024 when the NIR unveiled its plan for the full nationwide registration of Liberians and lawful permanent residents.
Internal Affairs Minister Francis S. Nyumalin, who leads the NIR Board of Registrars, praised the action on behalf of the Liberian government and described it as a crucial step toward electoral reform and cost savings.
Characterizing the action as a significant step in enhancing the public sector’s accountability, transparency, and service delivery in Liberia, UNDP and EU representatives commended the collaborative work and promised to continue supporting NEC and NIR.
