MOGADISHU (SD) – The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has announced that more than one million people have so far received the National Identification Card.

It has been confirmed that all these individuals received their cards free of charge, with no fees collected from the public.

The registration process is fully operational in Galmudug, Hirshabelle, South West, and the Banadir region, where citizens are significantly benefiting from the service. The federal government is simultaneously conducting awareness campaigns about the importance of the National ID card.

The issuance of cards has not yet commenced in the states of Puntland, Somaliland, and Jubbaland due to existing political, administrative, or technical hurdles. Some of these regional administrations, which are members of the Federal Government (FG), have not yet permitted the direct launch of the process in their territories.

On another note, tens of thousands of individuals who registered several months ago are complaining that they have not yet received their ID cards. They express confusion over the reasons for this delay, as they were initially informed they would receive them within a short period.