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As of late 2017 Malawians can now for the first time collect their very own national ID card. The ID cards are secured with digital signatures issued by SignServer and certificates from EJBCA, both products by PrimeKey. This means that not only can the Malawians get their own ID card but also that these cards are safe from copying, tampering etc.
Every Malawian will get their ID on a Smart Card, containing their personal information. Consequently, security has been a top priority for the Smart Cards. PrimeKey has installed a Country Signing Certificate Authority (CSCA) and a Document Signer for Malawi, providing digital signatures to the millions of individual Smart Cards. This ensures that the ID of each citizen is kept secure.
The national ID initiative is founded by UNDP Malawi and delivered by SELP, in cooperation with PrimeKey. With national ID cards Malawians will no longer have problems with identifying themselves to banks or other institutions, making life easier for citizens, institutions, and the government. The project is being rolled out nationally and is currently discussed on twitter under the hashtag #mymalawiID.
Chris Job, Team Leader Professional Services, who installed the PrimeKey products on site said, “It was great to see how engaged the citizens of Malawi were in getting their first national ID card. Even farmers who lived in remote areas without electricity were motivated to go and get enrolled, which I think proves just how important this project is. It’s a big step for both Malawi as a country and for its citizens and I’m happy PrimeKey could be a vital part of it.“