Ghana launches CitizenApp to facilitate access to digital govt services

On October 7 in Accra, Ghana’s Vice President and candidate of the ruling party for the December 7 presidential election, Mahamudu Bawumia, rolled out a mobile application aimed at providing digital ID and easing access to digital government services in the country.

According to a post on his X account, Bawumia said the digital platform, dubbed CitizenApp Data Interoperability System (CADIS), which allows identity verification using the Ghana Card and the user’s phone number, will enable Ghanaian citizens and residents gain access to several public services digitally in a single place.

He outlined some of the services which can be accessed through the app which include the registration of births and deaths, the modification of civil status registration data, biometric passport applications, application for or renewal of driver’s licences, filing of tax returns, business registration and vehicle registration, utility bills payment, enrollment and updating of the health insurance card, and job searches, among others.

During the launch of the app, Bawumia enumerated efforts the government has undertaken in the past eight years to advance its digital transformation journey, noting that the launch of CADIS is a step in furtherance of its objectives of becoming a transactional and service-centered government.

He said the platform adds to other steps such as the rollout of a biometric national digital ID card, a digital address system, a digital payments and interoperability infrastructure which has gone a long way in driving financial inclusion, as well as the digitalization of access to services from government and the private sector.

A video played during the launch event explains that app provides access to all services via biometric single-sign on (SSO) authentication. Ghanaians perform identity verification by scanning their Ghana Card and entering their phone number, the system draws on data previously collected by the National Identification Authority to create a digital ID.

The CitizenApp is also expected to cut the time and cost of seeking government services, as users will no longer need to queue up and wait long hours to get served.

The top state official said the blockchain-based system will facilitate data sharing among government agencies and institutions by creating a unified digital record for every citizen, and allowing data to be shared with consent of the data subject and in line with existing data protection regulations.

Several comments to the VP’s X post praise the launch of the app as a step in the right direction, with one user saying the innovation is “truly remarkable” and will “make life easier for all Ghanaians.”

The development of CADIS is an initiative of the Office of the President of Ghana in collaboration with the Ghana Revenue Authority, and other government agencies.

Its launch comes just days after the end of the 2024 Ghana Digital and Innovation Week where the role of digital ID in the country’s digital government and DPI pursuits was emphasized.

Article Topics

CitizenApp  |  digital government  |  digital ID  |  Ghana  |  Ghana Card  |  government services  |  mobile app