Faced with the refusal of certain schools and training centers to accept the Personal Identification Certificate (CIP) without a signature, particularly for minors when compiling documents for year-end exams, the Minister of the Interior has taken a firm stance: school administrators must now verify the authenticity of documents using the “anip.bj” application, which is available only on Android.
Bergedor HADJIHOU
At the Abomey-Calavi town hall on Thursday, December 19, 2024, a double queue of people stretches in front of the Communal Identification Unit (UCIP), set up in the municipal courtyard. Some have come for their first enrollment, while others seek to update their information in the ANIP database. A parent in line shares that he validated his daughter’s baccalaureate application the day before using the app: “It’s very practical. I didn’t even have to travel. Given the persistent rumors, I went to her school myself. The head supervisor checked her identity via the QR code on her card and confirmed that everything was in order. He accepted her application just like those of her classmates.”
At the Collège d’Enseignement Général 2 in Abomey-Calavi, Assouma Amidath, a senior-year student in the D3 stream, also shares her experience: “My father was afraid the school would reject my CIP. He sent me to the town hall to verify it. There, I was directed to ANIP. To my surprise, the director told me that signatures were no longer required. She performed the verification on her phone. It was a huge relief. I was stressed at the thought of missing classes to handle paperwork.”
Launched on October 25, 2023, by the National Agency for the Identification of Persons (ANIP), the “anip.bj” mobile application aims to simplify the acquisition of administrative documents, verify their authenticity, and manage anomalies in identity data, as well as complaints and claims. Thanks to this solution, many students have been able to submit their applications transparently and without discrimination.
The application not only confirms a user’s identity but also effectively combats fake administrative documents. Various services, such as social protection, healthcare, education, and telecommunications providers, can now authenticate individuals on the platform. Bellor Ganhounouto, a network security and information systems engineer and a consultant for personal data protection, explains: “If, for instance, a candidate’s Personal Identification Certificate is damaged to the point of making its validity date unreadable, the QR code can be scanned with the application to verify its authenticity. The status turns green for a genuine document, displaying the Personal Identification Number (NPI) and the person’s photo, or red otherwise. If an issue arises, the app indicates the erroneous field that needs correction.”
A Tool for Equitable Access to Education
Beyond verifying document authenticity, the application facilitates the issuance of administrative documents such as the Personal Identification Certificate. This document has been designated by educational authorities as a key requirement for compiling exam applications and accessing examination halls. Students can now rely solely on this card, which is more affordable than the national identity card or a passport.
“Previously, the national identity card cost 2,500 FCFA. Today, the biometric version costs between 8,000 and 10,000 FCFA. For low-income parents, the CIP, available online for just 1,000 FCFA, is a real lifesaver,” explains Robertine Médéssè Saho, director of the Collège d’Enseignement Général Les Pylônes in Agla, in Cotonou’s 13th district.
The president of the National Federation of Parents’ and Students’ Associations of Benin (FENAPEB), Épiphane Azon, confirms: “Candidates for exams obtain their CIP cards more easily within the required timeframe, unlike the biometric national identity card, which has a longer processing time.”
The Personal Identification Certificate is based on the Personal Identification Number (NPI) assigned to each citizen. This unique number, introduced by Decree No. 2020-099 of February 26, 2020, has become essential for accessing public services. It reliably identifies each individual and consolidates all their administrative data.
An Ongoing Administrative Transformation
Article 5 of Decree No. 2020-099 of February 26, 2020, states that the NPI is mandatory for accessing public services. It aims to simplify data exchanges between public and semi-public institutions. Article 6 specifies that ANIP is responsible for defining the CIP’s formats and establishing support services for its distribution through a digitalized approach.
For many education and administration stakeholders, the “anip.bj” application marks a significant step toward modernizing public services. However, some limitations remain, particularly the app’s availability only on Android, which excludes iOS users and those without smartphones.
While waiting for an improved version accessible to a broader audience, the application is already playing a crucial role in ensuring equitable access to education and other social services in Benin.
