New Biometric ID Card Center Launches in Northern Cameroon

Published Date : 8/7/2025 

The new biometric ID card production center in Garoua, Cameroon, is now operational, serving citizens in the Adamawa, North, and Far North regions. This initiative aims to streamline the ID issuance process and improve access to essential services. 

Citizens in the three northern administrative regions of Cameroon have begun receiving new national ID cards following the opening of a new production center in the city of Garoua in the North Region.

State broadcaster CRTV reports that the new center, which is now operational, will serve citizens in the Adamawa, North, and Far North regions, which make up a significant portion of the country’s population.

The head of the multipurpose national ID card center, Bouba Nezene Blaise, is quoted as saying that ID enrollment centers have also been opened in some hard-to-reach towns such as Poli, Figuil, Guider, Lagdo, and Tcholire in the North, while others are also functional in the Far North and the Adamawa. The official said the idea is to enable citizens in these localities to easily obtain their ID cards. Some citizens interviewed at the ID center expressed delight and relief, as many of them have been streaming in to collect their cards which they need for day-to-day transactions. A young man said he had come to collect his ID because he was preparing to register for a competitive entrance exam.

The multipurpose national ID production center in Garoua is the second to be opened within the framework of Cameroon’s new generational national ID contract with Augentic, after that of Douala which was inaugurated in March. The cards are in ICAO’s standard ID-1 format and feature 15 visible and invisible security features, including holographic elements and microtext, the company says.

This is in addition to regional enrollment centers in the 10 administrative regions of the country. The Garoua center issues around 2,000 ID cards daily.

Cameroon launched the new biometric national ID card system in February with a promise for cards to be delivered within 48 hours after successful application. However, there have been complaints from citizens that the 48-hour deadline is not respected in some cases. In June, lawmakers also raised concerns about the difficulties which still plague the ID issuance process and called for the opening of more enrollment centers to reduce the high cost and complications.

The Northern regions of Cameroon host huge numbers of refugees and internally displaced persons, many of whom do not have legal identity and so face difficulties in accessing important social services. As part of efforts to easily identify some of them and facilitate access to humanitarian assistance, teams from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) were recently on the field in the North Region to collect personal data. The agency said in an X post that it has also trained enumerators and wants to ensure that it obtains quality data to truly meet the needs of displaced and host communities. Joint efforts between the government of Cameroon and the UNHCR are also in progress to issue biometric ID cards to refugees to help access vital services. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS): 

Q: What is the purpose of the new biometric ID card center in Garoua?

A: The new biometric ID card center in Garoua is designed to serve citizens in the Adamawa, North, and Far North regions of Cameroon by providing them with new national ID cards. This initiative aims to streamline the ID issuance process and improve access to essential services.

Q: How many ID cards does the Garoua center issue daily?

A: The Garoua center issues around 2,000 ID cards daily.

Q: What are the security features of the new biometric ID cards?

A: The new biometric ID cards feature 15 visible and invisible security features, including holographic elements and microtext, to ensure their authenticity and security.

Q: Why are ID enrollment centers being opened in remote areas?

A: ID enrollment centers are being opened in remote areas to enable citizens in these localities to easily obtain their ID cards, as many of them face difficulties traveling long distances to get their IDs.

Q: What is the role of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in this initiative?

A: The IOM is collecting personal data in the North Region to identify refugees and internally displaced persons and facilitate their access to humanitarian assistance. They are also training enumerators to ensure the quality of the data collected. 

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