Madagascar is pushing ahead with the rollout of its national digital identity programme despite facing significant operational and logistical challenges during implementation. The project, supported by biometric technology company Laxton, is a central part of the country’s broader digital transformation strategy aimed at modernising public administration and improving access to government services.
The initiative forms part of Madagascar’s Digital Governance and Identification Management System Project, known as PRODIGY, which is backed by the World Bank. The programme seeks to establish a secure and scalable national digital identity system capable of supporting public services, financial inclusion and digital governance initiatives across the country.
According to project partners, implementation faced multiple disruptions, including political instability, civil unrest and severe weather events linked to cyclones. Despite these setbacks, Laxton continued deployment efforts by supplying biometric enrolment kits, software systems and technical support required for nationwide registration.
The company said its biometric kits were specifically designed to operate in remote and low-connectivity environments, enabling officials to capture fingerprint, iris and facial biometric data even in isolated regions of the island nation. Laxton also supported the deployment of around 2,500 enrolment kits and helped coordinate operational logistics and staff training ahead of the wider national rollout.
Madagascar officially launched the pilot phase of the digital ID programme earlier this year, with authorities targeting the registration of at least two million citizens between April and June 2026. The initiative is expected to provide citizens with a unique digital identity number that can be used to access government services and improve the reliability of national records.
Initial pilot results showed strong operational performance, with nearly 130,000 people enrolled through more than 100 registration centres. Officials reported high system availability and rapid enrolment processing times during the testing phase.
The digital ID programme is also expected to support efforts to reduce fraud, streamline public administration and expand digital public infrastructure across Madagascar. Analysts say the project reflects a wider trend across Africa, where governments are increasingly investing in biometric identity systems to support economic growth, financial inclusion and digital service delivery.