Somali Delegation Visits NADRA Headquarters to Study Social Protection Programs

Islamabad– A delegation from the Federal Republic of Somalia visited the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) Headquarters in Islamabad as part of an official study tour to explore Pakistan’s social protection initiatives. The delegation was led by Ms. Firdosa Ahmed Abdullahi, Program Director at the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, Somalia.

During the visit, NADRA officials provided an in-depth briefing on the organization’s significant contributions to Pakistan’s social protection framework. Key programs discussed included the dynamic National Socioeconomic Registry (NSER) used for the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP), as well as various other social protection schemes such as the Watan Card and the COVID Emergency Cash Program. The delegation was also briefed on NADRA’s role in health initiatives, notably the National Immunization Management System (NIMS), which facilitates the issuance of vaccination certificates for COVID-19, Polio, and Yellow Fever.

The briefing highlighted how NADRA’s state-of-the-art digital infrastructure and citizen identity database have enabled transparent, efficient, and targeted service delivery across the country, benefitting millions of Pakistanis.

Furthermore, NADRA has been assisting Somalia in the development of its own national identification system in line with directives from the Government of Pakistan. On behalf of Somalia, Ms. Abdullahi expressed sincere gratitude to the Government of Pakistan for its continuous support and cooperation.

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The Somali delegation included senior officials from various government departments, and Naseer Khan, Social Protection Specialist from the World Bank, also accompanied the delegation during their visit to NADRA Headquarters.