Several African countries have adopted biometric identification in strategic sectors like public administration, security, transport, and finance. This much-appreciated development stems from their will to improve efficiency but, this adoption raises concerns, about various cases of abuse, it could facilitate.

Over the past decade, biometric adoption was accelerated in Africa with governments instituting fingerprint, facial, and iris recognition as the authentication norms in the issuance of various identity documents. and national identity cards. In its 2020-2030 Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa, the African Union even emphasized the use of such biometric identification technologies.

The Pan-African Development Institution believes that digital identity is essential for the digital economy because it promotes trust in all interactions, both online and offline.

However, this growing adoption of biometric technologies raises concerns given the legal weaknesses in African countries' data protection laws. In its report "State of play on Internet freedom in Africa 2022: the rise of biometric surveillance", the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA)  fears abuses such as profiling or targeting, that are dangerous for individual freedoms.

"The use of CCTV with embedded facial recognition technologies is increasingly becoming more accessible and prevalent on the continent, yet these systems tend to be intrusive. These systems can track the movement of people, recognize motor-vehicle number plates, and match live footage of people in the public with images of those on a ‘watch list’ based on their ability to recognize specific and unique facial features, akin to fingerprinting," the research center explains.

According to Africa Data Protection, by January 2023, only 35 out of 54 African countries had a data protection law while only 22 countries had a data protection authority.

At a time when many African countries are still among the "unfree" states (in the Global Freedom Score 2022), CIPESA stresses that "the right to privacy is essential in a democratic society as it plays a critical role in the realization and enjoyment of the rights to freedom of expression, association, assembly and access to information." The center believes that there should be strict oversight on the use of biometric data.

Muriel Edjo

The solution was initially active in the ride-sharing sector but, in March 2020, it shifted to the logistics sector. Despite the demise of its founder months later, it is faring well in the newly chosen activity.

Gokada is a digital solution developed by a Nigerian eponymous startup. It allows access to food and parcel delivery services. The startup behind the app was founded, in 2017, as a ride-sharing service. Since its launch, it has raised about $12.4 million to support its growth and, in March 2020, it fully shifted to the logistics sector.

The digital solution it launched then is accessible through a mobile app (available for Android and iOS devices). Using that app, users can create Gokada accounts to access various services. It is a handy solution for both individuals and businesses.

With its real-time tracking feature, it allows users to track the delivery status and position at any time. It also allows users to schedule pick-up services as timely as possible. Its delivery fares are also cheap, with fares being calculated based on the distance and time spent, not on the size or weight of the packages.

The startup claims more than 1,200 delivery drivers and over 1 million deliveries in less than a year. On Playstore, its Android app has been downloaded more than 100,000 times. So, it is a popular solution in Nigeria, although it is currently active in just some selected states. In September 2021, it entered Oyo State (Ibadan) but, in the coming months, it plans to launch in more states.

Adoni Conrad Quenum  

Fidèle Nsadi (photo) is a Congolese computer scientist and technology entrepreneur who graduated from the University of Kinshasa in 2022. He is the co-founder and CEO of tech company Faithful LLC.

Through Faithful LLC, he launched a fintech solution that works without an internet connection. The solution, called Express App, offers quick and easy access to financial services, including mobile money, mobile banking, and plan activation services, among others. Thanks to its USSD-based technology, the app makes life easy for its users and provides a very intuitive user experience.

"Express App is a mobile fintech solution that aims to accelerate financial inclusion by offering several financial services in the DRC and the rest of Africa in a simple and fast way. The peculiarity of Express App is that it works without an Internet connection, to allow a large number of people to access financial services such as mobile money, mobile banking, and the purchase of credit via a mobile application, even if they do not have access to the Internet, the penetration rate of which is still very low in the DRC and in many other African countries," Fidèle said in an interview published by TechCabal in February 2023.

Express App is not the only product launched by Faithful LLC. The startup, which was incubated by DR Congo incubator Ingenious City (October 2020-March 2021), also launched an instant messaging platform called Masolo.

For this messaging platform, Fidele Nsadi was the front-end developer. His entry into the professional world happened in 2018 when he worked as an IT manager for Convipat, an association that promotes agriculture and the consumption of healthy local products.

In 2019, at the university in Kinshasa, he was chosen as an assistant project manager for a project aimed at building a water supply system for residents in Dwale in the Bateke plateaus. In 2020, the fish production center RATALBI Pisciculture hired him as an IT consultant.

Melchior Koba

He is an experienced software engineer and an important player in Gabon's digital ecosystem. He is appointed director general of the National Agency of Digital Infrastructures and Frequencies (ANINF) after more than 27 years of working in various public institutions in the country.

Aimé-Martial Massamba (photo) is a Gabonese computer engineer who graduated from the Casablanca Higher Institute of Applied Engineering. He also holds a Master's in multimedia communication and information technology from the University of Picardie Jules Verne (UPJV).

On Monday, February 20, 2023, he was appointed Director General of Gabon's National Agency for Digital Infrastructure and Frequencies (ANINF) during the ministerial council held that day. As the new director general, he will lead the activities of the agency, whose mission is to develop digital infrastructure in Gabon and to develop effective e-Government applications. 

His appointment is the result of all of his achievements within the ANINF, which he joined as a project manager in 2011.  As the project manager, he oversaw the implementation of several major state projects including the national geomatic plan and the registers of natural and legal persons. In 2014, he was promoted to head the key infrastructure management department within the ANINF.

His professional career started in 1995 at the Directorate General of Taxation, where he was the deputy project manager. In 1999, he was appointed deputy project manager in charge of the development of the front office applications used by the national identity card establishment center.

In 2001, he was appointed as a research officer at the DGBS, the agency in charge of the management of academic scholarships. He notably designed and developed the client-server graphical application used to manage government scholarships, dematerialized the scholarship application process, and developed a website where various commissions post application results.

Melchior Koba