Burkina Faso has launched a nationwide biometric registration drive to establish a centralised digital identification system aimed at reducing administrative costs and improving public services.
President Ibrahim Traoré officially launched the operation on November 11, 2026, under the Ministry of Digital Transition.
Each person registered will receive a unique 12-digit identification number linked to personal and biometric data, including photographs and fingerprints. The system is designed to prevent duplicate records across government institutions.
Traoré said the database was developed by Burkinabe engineers and would be hosted within the country. He said it could save the state tens of billions of CFA francs by reducing the need for separate data-collection systems.
The identifier is also expected to improve the management of agricultural subsidies and social assistance programmes.
Registration will be free and carried out through 160 centres and mobile teams, including in remote areas. Digital Transition Minister Aminata Zerbo/Sabané said the identifier would complement, rather than replace, existing identity documents.
