Somalia’s New Passport Tender Raises Questions
The Immigration and Citizenship Agency (ICA) has announced plans for a new third-generation Somali passport, even as the official tender process is set to close on October 14, 2025.
The announcement has raised questions about timing, legality and transparency in one of Somalia’s most important national identity projects.
Tender is set close soo – Yet Consultations Announced
The ICA said it will begin public consultations with citizens and institutions to inform the new passport system. However, many experts question why such consultations are being planned after the tendering process has already begun.
The open tender, published on September 23, 2025, seeks qualified firms to design, implement, operate and maintain a new Electronic Passport System (EPS) under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model.
The project includes –
• Supplying 1.61 million biometric passports,
• Establishing data and enrollment systems and
• Managing operations for 10 years.
“Consultations are meant to inform policy, not follow procurement,” said one legal observer in Mogadishu. “It gives the impression that key decisions were made before the relevant institutions and the public were even consulted.”
Governance experts say public engagement should precede any procurement process, especially for a project involving citizens’ data and international contracts.
Legal Questions: PPP Model Without a PPP Law
The new passport is being structured as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) – yet Somalia still has no PPP law in place.
A draft PPP Bill has been pending in Parliament for several years, but not yet enacted.
That raises serious questions: on what legal basis is ICA entering a PPP arrangement?
Typically, PPP projects require –
• Parliamentary oversight,
• Fiscal risk assessment, and
• Legal safeguards for public assets and citizen data.
Without a binding law, there is no framework defining government obligations, private partner rights or dispute mechanisms – a situation experts warn could create legal and financial vulnerabilities.
“If the PPP law is not yet approved, it’s risky to enter long-term partnerships that may later conflict with national legislation,” noted an economist familiar with Somalia’s reforms. “The question is: where does Parliament stand in this process?”
Public Concerns: Cost, Contractor and Data Protection
Citizens have also voiced concerns over the high cost of Somali passports – among the most expensive in Africa – and their five-year validity. Many argue the new passport should be valid for 10 years and made more affordable for citizens.
Questions also remain –
• What happened to the previous passport contractor that handled production for more than a decade?
• How will personal and biometric data be protected?
With the tender designed for a 10-year operation period, experts are calling for transparency, legal clarity and parliamentary oversight before any deal is signed.
About the Tender and Where to Find It
The tender, titled “Design, Implementation, Operation & Maintenance of a National Electronic Passport System (EPS)” (Ref: ICA/PROC/480171/09-2025/SPP), was published on the international procurement platform DGMarket.
🔗 Official Link: https://www2.dgmarket.com/Notice/98866625
According to the notice:
• Issuing Agency: Immigration & Citizenship Agency (ICA), Federal Government of Somalia
• Issue Date: September 23, 2025
• Submission Deadline: October 14, 2025 – 14:00 EAT
• Procurement Method: International (Prequalification)
• Duration: 10 years under a BOT model
• Scope: 1.61 million passports, EPMS, ABIS, PKI systems and global enrollment centers
Only prequalified firms will advance to the Request for Proposals (RFP) stage.
Call for Transparency
As Somalia modernizes its identity systems, the public expects consultation, legal compliance and transparency.
The passport symbolizes citizenship and sovereignty, and its redesign should strengthen, not undermine, public trust.
