Toppan Gravity Ethiopia, a joint venture between Toppan Gravity and the government of Ethiopia, held the groundbreaking ceremony for a new passport manufacturing and issuance plant in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 8 May.
Toppan Gravity and the Ethiopian government established Toppan Gravity Ethiopia in July 2023 to drive the manufacture and issuance of passports, IDs, driving licenses, and other government-issued documents.Â
The Toppan Group holds a 51% stake in the company via Toppan Gravity’s UAE-based subsidiary Gravity Group and one other company, while the Ethiopian government holds a 49% stake through the Ethiopian national printer and two other companies.
The new plant will draw on the Toppan Group’s accumulated security printing and data processing technologies as well as its expertise in the handling of personal information to help drive the development of public infrastructure in Ethiopia. Toppan will also provide support for onsite operations and contribute to job creation in Ethiopia.
With future population growth and economic development anticipated, many African countries are seeing increased needs for the enhancement of social infrastructure. This is driving demand for solutions that aid governments in managing citizens’ data from the stage of birth registration and enable more citizens to access public services.
The Toppan Group’s security business traces its roots back to the security printing that was core to its operations at the time of its founding in 1900. Backed by this extensive track record, the Toppan Group has provided government IDs for more than 40 countries.
The Toppan Group is now employing its technologies and solutions in launching the joint venture with the Ethiopian government to deliver a full suite of passport and ID issuance solutions to Ethiopia, ranging from personal data registration and database management to business process outsourcing.
With the launch of the manufacturing plant in Ethiopia as a first step, the Toppan Group plans to harness its technologies and solutions to establish capabilities for the provision of a full range of government ID solutions in the African market, with a view to producing IDs and passports for neighboring countries in the future. The government of Ethiopia, meanwhile, will ensure operational design aligned with local needs by establishing rules and regulations for passports and IDs.
