Benin: Pascal Nyamulinda launches a new enrolment phase for Ravip

The National Agency for the Identification of Persons (ANIP) has launched a new phase of enrolment in the Administrative Census for the Identification of the Population (RAVIP) in Benin.

The operation is held throughout the country, in the main districts. This is the very first major mission undertaken by the new General Director of the National Agency for Identification of Persons (ANIP), Pascal Nyamulinda. It aims to give a new chance to people not yet enrolled in the National Register.

It should be noted that enrolment in RAVIP is necessary to obtain some documents in Benin, including birth certificates, biometric identity cards, personal identification certificates and even certificates of residence.

Why a Rwandan as the head of ANIP?

Former Mayor of Kigali, former General Director of the National Identification Agency (NIDA) in Rwanda, Pascal Nyamulinda, of Rwandan nationality, was appointed by the Council of Ministers in its session of February 22. He replaces Cyrille Gougbedji. And his appointment to such a sensitive post has provoked an outcry from the Beninese. Especially because it is a structure that manipulates the personal data of Beninese, pilots the civil status and the electoral list of the whole nation. However, the Beninese are used to it. Since the vote of the law on the general regime of external collaborators of the State in 2017, the Rupture regime has been promoting people of various nationalities to strategic positions. Port of Cotonou, Sbee, Anatt…, all these structures are headed by expatriates.

The executive is trying to convince: ‘I can certify that the Council of Ministers had several CVs. The others were Beninese and this one was Rwandan. But by looking at the backgrounds, by looking at the profile with regard to the objective; because in this case it is not only about the simple administration of the entity, but there are also the technical and technological aspects. And in this, the one who was appointed had a head start on the others because he has proven experience in the matter,” justified the Spokesperson, the government Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji

To calm the nerves, given the sensitivity of the position, Mr Léandre Houngbédji reassured us that “the management of personal data is regulated by law to ensure that there is no abuse or leakage.