In a major win for efficiency and public service delivery, Ghana’s National Identification Authority (NIA) has announced the complete clearance of a massive two-year backlog in unissued Ghana Cards.
That’s right—after months of frustrating delays and supply chain bottlenecks, the NIA says it’s back on track. And the best part? New applicants can now walk into any of the country’s 292 registration centres and walk out with their Ghana Card—on the same day.
“If you register today, you should be able to get your card today,” said Williams Ampomah E. Darlas, Head of Corporate Affairs at the NIA, in an exclusive interview with Daily Graphic on September 11.
From Shortages to Same-Day Service
The breakthrough comes after what the NIA describes as a tough stretch—from March 2023 to January 2025—when blank card shortages crippled issuance nationwide.
Under new leadership, that logjam has finally been cleared. Darlas confirmed that citizens who registered during that period but never received their cards can now return to their original registration centres to collect them.
Nearly 19 Million Ghanaians Registered
Here’s where things stand:
Total registered: 18,950,942
Cards printed: 18,848,635
Cards issued: 17,747,459
That leaves fewer than a million cards still waiting to be collected.
Darlas called the Ghana Card the “central pillar of identity verification” in the country, revealing that 95 major institutions—including banks and government agencies—are already plugged into the NIA’s real-time identity verification system.
A Mobile App Is on the Way
To make things even more accessible, the NIA is developing a mobile app aimed at helping smaller institutions—like microfinance companies—tap into the platform. This could be a game-changer for rural and community-based businesses.
But the NIA also has a warning: stop making photocopies of the Ghana Card.
“No, it’s not allowed,” Darlas said firmly, stressing that only biometric verification—thumbprints and digital authentication—is legally permitted.
The agency is pushing for legislative changes to crack down on institutions that demand or store card photocopies, citing risks of identity theft and other cybercrimes.
“We are amending our laws to punish institutions that request or photocopy the ID cards of citizens,” Darlas revealed.
What’s Next?
With Parliament set to reconvene soon, the NIA plans to table amendments to strengthen its legal authority and better protect the integrity of the national ID system.
As the Ghana Card becomes more deeply embedded in everything from banking to voting, officials say the focus is now on speed, security, and full-scale digital integration.
And for millions of Ghanaians, that means finally getting the ID they’ve been waiting for—without the wait
Source:TheDotNews