Dar es Salaam. The National Identification Authority (NIDA) has come up with a fresh strategy to encourage those who’ve been dragging their feet to collect their national ID cards.
Citizens who haven’t bothered to pick up their IDs from local offices in wards, villages, streets, or harmlets will now need to visit the NIDA district offices where they registered—once they receive a text message (SMS) politely nudging them to do so.
But don’t delay. According to NIDA, failure to collect your ID within a month of receiving the message could see your precious National Identification Number (NIN) temporarily put out of action.
And let’s face it—life without your NIN could get a bit awkward, like trying to join a Wi-Fi network without the password.
This move is part of NIDA’s mission to ensure that all IDs previously sent to grassroots offices for easier access actually end up in the hands of their rightful owners.
The initiative follows NIDA’s special campaign, from October 2023 to March 2025, to mass-produce IDs and meet the growing demand.
Cards were distributed to local offices to spare citizens the hassle of trekking to district offices.
However, as NIDA’s Head of Communications, Geofrey Tengeneza put it; “We delivered a lot of IDs to village and street offices to make things easier for the public, but many of them remain uncollected. So, we’ve gathered all the unclaimed cards and returned them to our district offices.”
As of 29 December 2024, approximately 1.2 million ID cards remained uncollected.
The uncollected IDs have now been safely transferred to NIDA district offices nationwide.
To spur action, SMS notifications have already started rolling out, and some citizens have begun to heed the call.
This effort also aligns with the directives of the Minister for Home Affairs, Innocent Bashungwa, who tasked NIDA with ensuring all unclaimed IDs are collected within two months.
So, if you’re among the forgetful or procrastinating masses, consider this your gentle (but firm) reminder. It’s time to collect your ID—after all, it’s not just a card; it’s your official ticket to modern life. Don’t wait until your NIN becomes a “has-been.”
