The National Identification Authority (NIA) says the Ghana Card has eliminated identity barriers across the country and is now recognised for travel within the ECOWAS sub-region and accepted at more than 44,000 airports worldwide. Executive secretary of the NIA, Wisdom Kwaku Deku, disclosed this while outlining major achievements of the authority under the National Identification System project.
According to him, the National Identification Authority has so far registered more than 19.4 million Ghanaians aged 15 years and above, with over 18.7 million cards issued nationwide. He added that more than 229,000 foreigners have also been enrolled in the system.
Mr. Deku said the decision to ensure free issuance of the Ghana Card at the inception of the project helped remove economic barriers and unified identity management across the country.
“The Ghana card we hold today is recognized for travel within the ECOWAS subregion and is accepted at over 44,000 airports worldwide,” he stated.
He further revealed that through the Identity Verification System platform, the National Identification Authority has successfully processed over 200 million biometric verification requests without challenges.
Currently, 281 institutions have been integrated onto the Identity Verification System platform. These include 25 universal banks, 144 rural banks, nine government institutions, 16 fintech companies, four telecommunication firms, and 83 other institutions. An additional 238 institutions are expected to be onboarded soon as part of efforts toward full national integration.
Mr. Deku also welcomed the government’s 2025 directive placing a moratorium on standalone biometric procurement across public institutions, saying the move will promote standardization, strengthen data security, and ensure efficient use of national resources.
Speaking on operational improvements, the executive secretary disclosed that upon assuming office in January 2025, management worked with technical partners to clear a backlog of more than 640,000 Ghana Cards. According to him, the cards were successfully printed and distributed to district offices in September 2025.
He added that the authority has upgraded infrastructure at its head office through private sector support, expanded premium centres from nine to 16 regions, and extended its online appointment application system to more parts of the country.
The National Identification Authority also announced the resumption of nationwide registration exercises for children between the ages of six and 14.
Mr. Deku further stated that the NIA is currently operational in 11 Ghana missions abroad and plans to expand to six additional missions before the end of the year. The new locations include Spain, the UAE, China, Korea, La Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria.
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