Digital Identity Management System (DIMS)

A unified repository system that empowers the privacy and protection of users via sets of regulated trained AI protocols.

Africa, is a home for over 1.2 billion people with the potential of solving many world problems but with limited foresight and empowerment to fight looming challenges like; unemployment, poverty, hunger, illiteracy and many more. 

Statistics show that Africa’s population could reach 2.2 billion by 2050. Meaning Africa will account for the highest population spurt with an additional 1.3 billion people on the continent says a UN population report. Nigeria is posting the fastest population growth and its population is expected to surpass that of the United States by 2050 making it the third most populous country at an annual growth rate of 2.6%. This translates to numbers and figures of a population with or without Digital Identification that could lead to harder governance, poor budgetary and resource appropriation leading gaps in the economy.

When properly implemented, DIMS will address Indexing challenges and bring about the following;

1. Guaranteeing universal coverage for individuals from birth to death, and free from discrimination.
2. Removing barriers to access, usage and disparities in the availability of technology.
3. Guarding user privacy via multi-tier secured protocols without bridging or compromising accessibility.
4. Safeguarding data privacy of its citizenry, maintaining its user rights through comprehensive legal and governing structure, as well as enforcing legal trust through independent oversight and settlement of grievances.

User capturing will be as easy as sending an SMS to a USSD Code, or registering on our alternate secured portal. Data are collected in fragments from citizens using our trained AI protocols thereby removing the burden of filling lengthy forms at one stance. New required data will be collected at every instantiation of the user identifier at Deploy Points (DPs) or New Points of Collection (NPC) (these DPs or NPCs are the data requesting institutions). But since these data are consolidated through our cloud server, it would have to be authorized by the users and auto populated at the DP or NPC with a signed immutable block.

DIMS offers privacy and protection to users by empowering them to regulate who can assess their data via sets of AI protocols and leveraging the blockchain technology. User identification are tokenized via a distributed ledger system that are pinned to USSD codes. This doubles the security intuitiveness levels and provides immutable blocks of identifiers only decryptible by block owners who then provide regulated access to varying services.

DIMS will provide secure Digital Identification via a consolidation server, and basically allow users to share regulated access to their data with third parties on a case-by-case bases. Examples of such case needs for instance, will be access to Financial Services; Education Services; Healthcare Services (Insurance, Hospitals); Travel & Migration; Mobile Services; E-voting Services by the National Independent Electoral Commission; National Census taking by the National Population Commission, Access to the power grid with so many more scaling potentials within the Social Safety Nets of the people.

The sole objective of DIMS will be to foster inclusion by safeguarding the data privacy of users and instilling confidence in the current system.

DIMS utilizes open-data models to uniquely proffer scale-able identifiers and interfaces to resolve privacy problems. It is an innovative solution as it integrates AI protocols knitted together with blockchain technology in simplified forms to solve Digital Identity issues for developing countries. It handles this in several ways:

1. Registration/Indexing - via trained AI protocols, DIMS is able to collect and populate user required fields with accurate data of users on consent bases.
2. Authentication - With our built in AI algorithms, DIMS will able to appropriately proffer regulated tokens in the form of One time verification Keys (OTVK) for authentication.

DIMS design is strongly hinged on Population Aggregation and Census taking for developing countries, nonetheless scale-ability was at heart during the conceptualization for adaptability for Digital Identification at national levels.

Our privacy by architecture focuses on the following:

1. Secure Data Collection (SDC) - This process basically handles registration of individuals on the platform using secured protocols to capture user data by on-field aggregators/enumerators. via our trained AI protocols, DIMS is able to collect and populate user required fields with accurate data of users on consent bases;
2. Authorization - To accurately determine who is accessing what per time, built in AI algorithms will be able to appropriately proffer regulated tokens to be used for checks to authenticate requested transactions. Authorization based tokens will be generated/destroyed per session. These token will always come as pair tokens with a physical asset like a registered phone number, passcode, or a date of birth
3. Alliance/Interoperability – DIMS by default will generate Pass blocks or Tokens to authenticate third party interactions which adds another level of security for users ultimately creating self-sustained bridges for third-party applications that needs to interact with one another.
4. Disaster recovery - Recover electronic data in case of disaster/loss of data. 

Our approach with DIMS will be to provide Open-API’s as handles that will allow for the integration of third party systems while focusing on the advancement of security, user experience and scale-ability. Incorporation with other digital Identity systems like; International Passports, National Identity/Social Security Systems will be very seamless as our API’s will be cross platform based which will provide room for searchable queries over government and third party e-ID systems.

1. System Integration – Our Open-API’s are able to provide datasets/recordsets to allow 3rd-Party systems mine user-data on consent.
2. Intuitive Data Logging – While users could be on different platforms filling forms for one service or the other, our trained AI programs tend to identify users and watch out for new data not yet found on their profiles and then captures for future needs on other platforms. This removes the tediousness of form-filling for users.
3. User Preferences – Our AI protocols will be user intuitively trainable though unknowing to the them, will better user experiences at all times.

In our design consideration we thought to utilize the following to upscale our delivery:

1. Telecom Providers – With Nigeria's active mobile phone users hitting 146 million in January 2018. Riding on their backbone will foster interoperability. 
2. Institutional Integration – With many third party applications coming into play, we plan to offer Open-API's for their integration. This API will provide an abstracted layer of interaction between third-party systems.
3. Workflow – With our machine learning algorithms giving insights into activities on our system, we are able to create a more efficient workflows around operations for interoperability.

DIM addresses concerns with low literacy/numeracy levels and reduced connectivity requirements by:

1. SMS/USSD Registration - With predefined USSD codes, users are able to seamlessly register without the need for internet data.  
2. Mobile App - Using a mobile app that allows for Offline capturing and syncing of data at Deploy Points(DPs). This process will be conducted by trained aggregators/enumerators.
3. Predefined Functions - This system provides a head start for the registration and followed up with biometric capture with aggregators/enumerators at any given point in time. Proceeded with issuing LinkCards (Virtual/Physcal) to users.

Our vision is to sustain-ably foster inclusion in the next three to five years with the implementation of DIMS. And our success will be to see developing countries engaging one another through user-privacy protection, data-indexing that is sound enough to facilitate inclusive-growth and development across all sectors of their economies with very minimal infringements on people-rights. 

Our goal will be to implement a Unified Digital Identity Management System (UDIMS) that will help create, and regulate inclusive development by eliminating system redundancies.

With the help/support of the World Bank Group and ID4D, DIMS will bring momentous benefits to marginalized regions.

None. This submission is a sole Idea targeted at this challenge.

My first degree is in Applied Information Technology from the Sikkim Manipal University of Health, Technological and Medical Sciences, India with strong interests in Relational Databases, Artificial Intelligence, User Privacy and Data Security Protocols. I am a full-stack developer and savvy with open sourced systems. I have over 16 years of technology development, deployment and integration experience with public agencies in Nigeria, some of which are; the UNDP, UNAIDS, and the UNFPA. 

Challenges faced by developing countries are sometimes deserving of local adaptation of solutions that better serve its present provisions.

We propose a Hybrid Revenue Model on a use-case bases but primarily more situated on the non-profit side of things to foster adoption and scale-ability but with the exception to B2B side of things.

A preview of this model;

• For users and individuals our solution is completely free (This will foster adoption and scalability).
• For B2B and institutional use, we propose bulk transaction fees to keep developmental needs up to date. This will also take care of transaction fees associated with operational activities with Telecom companies, developers, financial institutions etc.
• Charges will be based on API calls and support fees if the need arises. The more API calls, the more the lesser the cost and the more on our rev share.
• Government funding or subsidy will greatly drive down cost to enable deployment and adoption at a great scale and we intend to get this support.
• Telecom integration is a strong driver for our platform but comes with associated costs for successful SMS and USSD use. With this regard, we propose cost sharing between the provider and DIM as this will foster the needed synergy.

One obvious reason for applying is funding. Developing and implementing technologies of this scale costs money and the advantages are so largely disseminated that only grant funding could be the primary, feasible source of funding.

Also that Nigeria with a sizable population of over 180 million people could be a great pilot ground for a project like this before scaling to other developing countries. Finally my anticipation, as an aspirant, is that this platform will expose my idea to relevant stakeholders (like the Word Bank, ID4D and other interest groups) who can both critically consider and/or execute this intervention.

• Government Unwillingness: Reluctance for governments to instrument technology as key change agent due to conflicting and overriding interests and accountability. - Resolution: Stakeholders to adopt solution as a prerequisite for funding projects or assistance;

• Country Legislation: Legislative interests could be in opposition to adoption - Resolution: Highlight interest and support for stakeholder participation to guarantee adoption.

• State Funding: Provision on budgetary allocation for systems like this aren’t the interest of most developing countries as compared to dealing with hunger, infrastructure and healthcare - Resolution: Link state-participation with development interests of the state and proffer alternate funding models.