https://simplecast.com ID-ology – Changing national ID systems in Africa An estimated 500 million people in Sub Saharan Africa have no legal proof of their identity – be this a national ID, passport or birth certificate. People without legal ID may struggle to enroll in school, to access healthcare or register for elections, and they can’t open a bank account or formally own property. In the last decade, African countries have increasingly transformed their national ID-systems. The new digitised and biometric ID systems are represented as neutral technical solutions, yet they are far from neutral. They are situated in already-existing systems of class, gender, ethnic and other forms of differentiation and discrimination. Ironically, many people struggle to gain access to IDs within the new, seemingly improved systems and suddenly find themselves outside the provisions of citizenship. What are the consequences of this? Why do the new ID systems systematically fail to fulfil the promise of legal identity for ALL? Based on well-grounded empirical research mainly in Ghana and Uganda, the episodes in the ID-ology series address the contradictory logics that underpin the introduction of the new systems and the complex effects they are generating. This podcast is a production of the research project CERTIZENS – Certifications Citizenship in Africa, which was funded by the Danish Fellowship Centre in collaboration with the University of Copenhagen, the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ghana, and Makerere University in Uganda. “Concept Development, Script, and Production by Susann Heidecke, Amanda Hammar Hosted by Susann Heidecke Concept and distribution advice by Jonas Nielsen Edited by Susann Heidecke Recorded by René Lindkrone at KU Studio en Wed, 30 Sep 2026 05:00:00 +0000 Wed, 30 Sep 2026 05:00:14 +0000 https://certizens-africa-podcast.simplecast.com ID-ology – Changing national ID systems in Africa https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/9da0ba6b-fe43-42fb-a0a3-509300137905/e17d70b9-b891-47fd-8929-fdffbff793fa/3000x3000/cropped_1789459763239.jpg?aid=rss_feed https://certizens-africa-podcast.simplecast.com episodic An estimated 500 million people in Sub Saharan Africa have no legal proof of their identity – be this a national ID, passport or birth certificate. People without legal ID may struggle to enroll in school, to access healthcare or register for elections, and they can’t open a bank account or formally own property. In the last decade, African countries have increasingly transformed their national ID-systems. The new digitised and biometric ID systems are represented as neutral technical solutions, yet they are far from neutral. They are situated in already-existing systems of class, gender, ethnic and other forms of differentiation and discrimination. Ironically, many people struggle to gain access to IDs within the new, seemingly improved systems and suddenly find themselves outside the provisions of citizenship. What are the consequences of this? Why do the new ID systems systematically fail to fulfil the promise of legal identity for ALL? Based on well-grounded empirical research mainly in Ghana and Uganda, the episodes in the ID-ology series address the contradictory logics that underpin the introduction of the new systems and the complex effects they are generating. This podcast is a production of the research project CERTIZENS – Certifications Citizenship in Africa, which was funded by the Danish Fellowship Centre in collaboration with the University of Copenhagen, the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ghana, and Makerere University in Uganda. “Concept Development, Script, and Production by Susann Heidecke, Amanda Hammar Hosted by Susann Heidecke Concept and distribution advice by Jonas Nielsen Edited by Susann Heidecke Recorded by René Lindkrone at KU Studio Susann Heidecke & Amanda Hammar false https://feeds.simplecast.com/od_hS74I africa, policy, politics CERTIZENS Africa research project at the Centre of African Studies, University of Copenhagen podcast@ku.dk 183882d3-b399-4a4a-8793-7fb5bf143cad Centralisation: logics, practices and effects of a single national ID How does the shift towards one single national ID and a centralized national ID authority affect border populations? Agnes Doe Agbanyo, PhD student and CERTIZENS researcher explains what is behind the introduction of the GhanaCard which supersedes all other forms of ID in Ghana. She also shows how the unfulfilled promise of improved access and mobility threatens both the livelihoods and social and civic relations of those who live far away from the country’s administrative centre.

To be notified for the next episode, please subscribe to the CERTIZENS newsletter.

Concept Development, Script, and Production by Susann Heidecke, Amanda Hammar

Hosted by Susann Heidecke

Concept and distribution advice by Jonas Nielsen

Edited by Susann Heidecke

Recorded by René Lindkrone at KU Studio


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]]> Wed, 30 Sep 2026 05:00:00 +0000 podcast@ku.dk (CERTIZENS Africa research project at the Centre of African Studies, University of Copenhagen) https://certizens-africa-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/centralisation-logics-practices-and-effects-of-a-single-national-id-rJisWC3d How does the shift towards one single national ID and a centralized national ID authority affect border populations? Agnes Doe Agbanyo, PhD student and CERTIZENS researcher explains what is behind the introduction of the GhanaCard which supersedes all other forms of ID in Ghana. She also shows how the unfulfilled promise of improved access and mobility threatens both the livelihoods and social and civic relations of those who live far away from the country’s administrative centre.

To be notified for the next episode, please subscribe to the CERTIZENS newsletter.

Concept Development, Script, and Production by Susann Heidecke, Amanda Hammar

Hosted by Susann Heidecke

Concept and distribution advice by Jonas Nielsen

Edited by Susann Heidecke

Recorded by René Lindkrone at KU Studio


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

]]> Centralisation: logics, practices and effects of a single national ID CERTIZENS Africa research project at the Centre of African Studies, University of Copenhagen 00:28:20 false full 2 f41c1531-5791-4b97-b589-e5b33d6aa7f2 Changing ID systems in Africa – for better or worse? Does the promise to improve the life of every citizen match with what the new national ID-systems being introduced across Africa deliver in practice? Amanda Hammar, Professor of African Studies and leader of the CERTIZENS research project, explains what an ID system is, what logics and conditions generated the rapid expansion of digitised national ID systems on the continent, and why we named this series ID-ology.

To be notified for the next episode, please subscribe to the CERTIZENS newsletter.

Concept Development, Script, and Production by Susann Heidecke, Amanda Hammar

Hosted by Susann Heidecke

Concept and distribution advice by Jonas Nielsen

Edited by Susann Heidecke

Recorded by René Lindkrone at KU Studio


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

]]> Wed, 16 Sep 2026 05:00:00 +0000 podcast@ku.dk (CERTIZENS Africa research project at the Centre of African Studies, University of Copenhagen) https://certizens-africa-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/changing-id-systems-in-africa-for-better-or-worse-rrpPuVPw Does the promise to improve the life of every citizen match with what the new national ID-systems being introduced across Africa deliver in practice? Amanda Hammar, Professor of African Studies and leader of the CERTIZENS research project, explains what an ID system is, what logics and conditions generated the rapid expansion of digitised national ID systems on the continent, and why we named this series ID-ology.

To be notified for the next episode, please subscribe to the CERTIZENS newsletter.

Concept Development, Script, and Production by Susann Heidecke, Amanda Hammar

Hosted by Susann Heidecke

Concept and distribution advice by Jonas Nielsen

Edited by Susann Heidecke

Recorded by René Lindkrone at KU Studio


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

]]> Changing ID systems in Africa – for better or worse? CERTIZENS Africa research project at the Centre of African Studies, University of Copenhagen 00:25:25 false full 1