By Misganaw Asnake
Addis Ababa has been unveiled as the host of Africa’s biggest identity gathering, the African General Meeting (AGM), in twelve months’ time from May 20 to 24, 2025.
The choice was disclosed on Day 2 of the AGM in Cape Town, putting an end to what the movement’s executive chairman, Joseph Atick(PhD), described jokingly as “one of the worst kept secrets.”
Before unveiling the decision, Atick quickly explained that competition for the hosting right was fierce as all the six shortlisted countries met almost all the laid down criteria.
“For 2025, there were six finalists, with many of them coming very close to each other, except that one little thing was missing. However, we came out with a clear-cut choice because we thought this country fully satisfied all the requirements we were looking for. But the other ones are not losers,” said Atick, addressing a packed and dead silent auditorium.
He went on: “The selection of the host country is not a simple task. It starts a year and a half in advance. We look at many factors including the political will, infrastructure, and also whether the country is supportive of the digital identity agenda, and the yearly Identity Day initiative.”
Taking the floor to deliver an acceptance speech after the announcement, an Ethiopian government representative expressed exceeding gratitude to ID4Africa for the honor and promised that they’ll work to exceed expectations by offering delegates the best of comfort and hospitality.
“It is a great honor as we accept this task. It is a huge honor for us. We are humbled by the trust you have placed in us to host the global identity community. It is a testament to our unwavering commitment to the identity agenda,” the official said.
“It [the AGM] will coincide with Ethiopia’s 2025 digital strategy. We will ensure a successful hosting of the event. It will be a unique assembly, and we’ll give a diverse flavor to the AGM. We shall exceed expectations and we won’t let you down.” Biometric Update intends to cover the proceedings from live on location, as it has for nearly all past ID4Africa AGMs.
In March, Ethiopia hosted the first edition of MOSIP Connect, an event that rallied major players in the digital identity space for three days in Addis Ababa, it was learned.
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