Strengthening coverage through compliance and digital innovation in North Africa

ISSA member institutions in North Africa and beyond gathered in Nouakchott, Mauritania, 16-17 December 2025, to discuss and share experiences on extending social security coverage through compliance and digitalization.

The event brought together over 100 participants from 12 countries, representing 20 social security institutions across North and francophone Africa. The opening ceremony was presided over by the Minister of Public Service and Labour, Marieme Mint Boydiel Houmeid, and the Minister of Social Action, Childhood and Family, Savia Mint N'tahah. They highlighted the strategic importance of extending social security coverage in public policy and the progress achieved in the region.

Over two days, discussions focused on two key themes. The first day was focussed on strengthening compliance for effective coverage, while the second day was dedicated to digital innovations for universal social protection. The discussions highlighted the progress made in the region, particularly the integration of vulnerable groups - such as informal, self-employed, and atypical workers - into social security schemes, especially health insurance.

Participants examined the ISSA Guidelines on administrative solutions for coverage extension, shared experiences on legislative and organizational reforms, and explored digital tools such as online affiliation platforms, electronic payment systems, integrated social registries, and artificial intelligence-based fraud detection.

Training and takeaways

The seminar concluded with a specialized training session led by the ISSA, equipping institutions with practical tools and approaches to enhance compliance and leverage technology for inclusive social protection. Key takeaways emphasized:

• Adapting legal frameworks to include vulnerable groups and informal workers
• Placing digitalization at the heart of compliance and coverage strategies
• Strengthening inter-institutional coordination and secure data exchange
• Ensuring financial sustainability and service quality through robust governance

This can form the basis for strengthened compliance and digitalization, and structured inter-institutional coordination, to accelerate the extension of social security coverage in the region

Moving into a new triennium

The technical seminar in Nouakchott marked the close of the ISSA triennium 2023-2025, and reaffirmed the region's commitment to building inclusive, efficient, and sustainable social security systems. This work will continue with the engagement of ISSA member institutions and the ISSA Liaison Office for North Africa in the 2026-2028 triennium.