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Allocating Identity: Distribution and Impact of Kaduna State's KADRIMA Card

Last registered on November 07, 2025
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Allocating Identity: Distribution and Impact of Kaduna State's KADRIMA Card
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0014394
Initial registration date
November 03, 2025

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
November 07, 2025, 7:34 AM EST

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Emma Riley
Affiliation
University of Michigan
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Isabelle Cohen
PI Affiliation
University of Washington
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PI Name
Abiola Oyebanjo
PI Affiliation
Empowerment for Local People Foundation
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Additional Trial Information

Status
In development
Start date
2025-11-17
End date
2026-12-31
Keywords
Finance & Microfinance, Governance, Welfare
Additional Keywords
digital ID, social protection
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
We study the effects of a novel state-developed digital ID product under alternative distribution methods on poor and vulnerable households in a northern Nigerian state. By randomizing who receives the initial distribution of ID cards, we will be able to evaluate the effects of the cards on citizens’ social protection and financial outcomes, and whether changes in these domains affect economic well-being. We will also randomize how the ID cards are distributed to recipients in order to assess equity-efficiency trade-offs in the delivery of tangible social protection products. The findings from this study will inform policy recommendations for the state government’s planned expansion to all 9 million residents while contributing to the broader literature on how identification programs affect vulnerable populations.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Cohen, Isabelle, Abiola Oyebanjo and Emma Riley. 2025. "Allocating Identity: Distribution and Impact of Kaduna State's KADRIMA Card." AEA RCT Registry. November 07. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.14394-1.0
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Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Our main intervention is the Residents Card, a biometric-backed identity card designed by Kaduna State. These cards will function as identity proofs, linking to the Nigerian National Identity Number (NIN), and ultimately enable cash transfer disbursement for Kaduna state’s social protection programs. The cards also provide access to bank accounts and will be able to be used at ATMs, with mobile apps, at electronic point-of-sale terminals and through agency banking facilities.

Our second intervention has to do with distribution methods for the Residents Card. There are two potential methods, centralized collection and door-to-door distribution. Under centralized collection, cards will be distributed only at community points by state employees, with some mobilization of recipients through phone. Under door-to-door distribution, cards will be distributed door-to-door by state employees.
Intervention Start Date
2025-11-17
Intervention End Date
2025-12-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
For the card itself, our key outcome variables are:
- Access to state-level social protection programs
- Access to financial services

For distribution, our key outcome variables are:
- whether cards were successfully distributed to recipients
- characteristics of those who received the cards
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
For the card itself, additional outcomes include:
- Economic well-being
- Attitudes towards the government
- Self-perception
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We randomize at two-levels.

First, 13,523 individuals chosen from Kaduna's social registry will be randomly assigned to receive Residents cards (8,498 individuals) or not to receive ID cards (5,025 individuals). We stratify by distribution method (see below) and when the individual was added to the experiment.

Second, among those who are receiving Residents cards, they will be randomly assigned to one of two distribution methods. This will be done as a cluster-randomization at the subdivision (a geographic unit within the state) level, where 35 subdivisions will be randomized to door-to-door distribution and 18 will be randomized to centralized collection. We stratify by which region of the state the subdivision is located in.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization done in office by a computer usign Stata.
Randomization Unit
Individuals (for randomization one) and subdivisons (for randomization two)
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
13,500 individuals, 53 subdivisons
Sample size: planned number of observations
13,523 individuals
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Individual randomization: Receive Residents card (8,498 individuals) or not to receive Residents cards (5,025 individuals)
Subdivision-level distribution randomization: Door-to-door distribution (35 subdivisions, 6,018 individuals) or centralized collection (18 subdivsions, 2,480 individuals)
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
University of Washington
IRB Approval Date
2025-01-17
IRB Approval Number
STUDY00021411
Analysis Plan