THE government has allocated a total of 11.3bn/- to facilitate the registration of children under 18, providing this group with unique National Identification Number (NIN) reference that will be valid until adulthood and beyond.

The initiative follows directives issued by President Samia Suluhu Hassan just over two years ago hinting at the need to ensure that every Tanzanian citizen is officially recognized from birth, thus simplifying access to government services.

George Simbachawene, the Home Affairs minister, unveiled this plan on Thursday at a working visit to the National Identification Authority (NIDA) head offices in the capital, also inspecting national ID processing, data management and production centre in Coast Region to assess operational progress and efficiency.

 “The national identification system for children is a critical step that will address long-standing challenges as every citizen will now be officially recognized from birth,” he declared, urging members of the public as well as migrants and refugees who previously applied for IDs using incorrect or false names, to update their information.

The president has granted amnesty to allow corrections of identity records, as wrong details have caused problems such as job loss or denial of citizenship, he said, urging those who haven’t collected their IDs to visit their registration centres. 

The personal identification number is now linked to health insurance cards, driving licenses and social security schemes, streamlining access to essential services for all Tanzanians, while Omar Mmanga, the NIDA acting director general, confirmed that identification cards are also being processed for Tanzanians living abroad. 

So far, 1,465 citizens overseas have been registered, while nationwide a total of 21,245,975 ID cards have been produced, with ultimately seeking to ensure that every Tanzanian has official identification no matter where they reside, he said.

This initiative will strengthen administrative efficiency, improve service delivery and provide every child with legal recognition, helping to prevent issues related to identity fraud and unregistered citizens in the future, he added.