Under the model, banks and private institutions now rely on the NIA’s verification infrastructure instead of building their own parallel systems, saving the country millions of dollars.

Baiden cited Nigeria as an example where banks reportedly spent hundreds of millions of dollars creating their own identity systems due to the absence of a unified national ID.

“In Ghana, the banks ride on NIA’s infrastructure. They pay per verification, and the country benefits,” he explained.

From Law School to Identity Pioneer

Baiden traced the origins of Margins to his days as a law student with a passion for technology, long before digital identity became a policy priority.

He recalled saving money from holiday jobs in London to buy his first laptop, driven not by a desire to become a programmer, but by a determination to use technology to solve problems.

“I realised early that I didn’t want to be a programmer. I wanted to build systems that solve problems,” he noted.

That problem-solving instinct led him and his team to spot opportunities created by the IT revolution — from the shift to personal computers, to document security, printing, smart cards and eventually national identity systems.

The Future: Identity Meets Payments

Looking ahead, Baiden revealed that Margins is working with stakeholders to deploy advanced smart ID solutions that combine identity verification with secure digital payments, while complying with legal and regulatory safeguards.

He explained that such systems could support government applications, small payments and service access, all while maintaining high security and interoperability.

“Identity and payments are converging. When done properly, it benefits everyone — not just a few players,” he noted.

Long-Term Thinking, African Solutions

Baiden credited Margins’ longevity to long-term thinking, deep partnerships and belief in African capacity.

“We built this company in our 20s with a different way of organising work. That same thinking is what governments now need,” he said.

As Margins marks 35 years of operations, Baiden said the company remains committed to building systems that are secure, inclusive and scalable, insisting that Africa must own its identity infrastructure.

“Identity is fundamental. When you get it right, everything else works better,” he concluded.

Margins ID Group is a leading provider of secure identity, payment and document solutions, with operations spanning Africa, Europe and Asia.