Zambia Calls for a One-Government Approach in Digital Identity Governance
Cape Town, South Africa, May 23rd, 2024,…SMART Zambia National Coordinator, Mr. Percy Chinyama, has urged Government institutions to understand that their agenda is one.
“We call this a one government approach which is a unified agenda to reduce silos and promote effective collaboration,”
Mr Chinyama said this during a panel discussion for senior government leaders on the Country Perspectives on Digital Identity Governance at the ongoing ID4Africa 2024 conference in Cape Town South Africa.
“By adopting a one government approach, governments can pool their resources, expertise, and knowledge to create a more comprehensive and inclusive digital identity system,” he said.
“A siloed approach to digital identity governance can lead to duplication of efforts, inefficiencies, and ultimately, exclusion. On the other hand, a one-government approach enables us to share best practices, leverage technology, and ensure that no one is left behind,” Mr Chinyama advised.
Mr. Chinyama also advocated for reviewing and amending traditional laws and regulations that predate our digital era.
“These traditional laws and regulations, which were enacted before the advent of digital technology, now require revision to align with our modern digital landscape and support our digital agenda,” he said.
“When a government relies solely on traditional laws, best practices often suffer because the narrative becomes ‘the law says so…,” he said.
“However, with a one government agenda, the focus shifts to functionalities first where we prioritize solving real problems.”
Mr Chinyama explained that Zambia has implemented successful digital initiatives because they addressed specific problems.
“When a digital agenda is problem-solving, it tends to work seamlessly, requiring minimal change management. On the other hand, digitizing simply because others are doing so or out of obligation can lead to issues. But with a One government agenda, we focus on functionalities, asking ourselves ‘what problem do we want to solve?’ and working together to find effective solutions,” he said.
The panel discussion brought together experts from across Africa to discuss the challenges and opportunities in digital identity governance.
Mr Chinyama joined panellists from Cameroon, Namibia, Uganda and Somalia to share experiences and lessons learned.
Over 500 delegates from across Africa have gathered at the ID4Africa 2024 conference in Cape Town South Africa to discuss inclusive and sustainable digital identity ecosystems in Africa, fostering collaboration, and innovation.
The conference held from 21 to 24th May 2024 under the theme, Digital Identity as DPI: Fostering Trust, Inclusion & Adoption is an unparalleled knowledge-sharing platform uniting ALL stakeholders from the entire identity ecosystem under one roof.
