Somalia, 6 November 2025 — Puntland's cabinet has approved the establishment of Puntland Identification and Registration Agency (PID) to spearhead efforts to modernize the state's public administration and citizen registration systems.
PID will officially begin its work on 1 January 2026.
The decision was reached during the weekly cabinet meeting chaired by President Said Abdullahi Deni, alongside Vice President Ilyas Osman Lugatoor, where governance reforms and the digital transformation of state institutions were also discussed.
The establishment of the PID forms a key component of Puntland’s Digital Registration Strategy, which focuses on integrating technology with governance to ensure an accurate and unified citizen database across the state.
Puntland has previously opted out of the Federal Government’s National Identification Agency (NIRA) system — which operates in most federal member states — citing administrative autonomy.
Alongside Jubaland, Puntland continues to maintain independent mechanisms for digital identification and civil registration.
