Ghana receives 700k blank cards to clear national ID backlog from 2023

Ghana’s National Identification Authority (NIA) says it is now ready to clear a massive backlog of national IDs (Ghana Cards) pending since 2023, after it received a consignment of 700,000 blank cards for personalization.

In a recent announcement, the NIA said the blank cards came in on Monday February 17 following negotiations with its partners.

“These blank cards will be used to print the backlog of records (first issuance, card replacement, and update of personal information) which have been pending since 2023,” reads the release issued by the NIA’s Directorate of Corporate Affairs.

“In line with the government’s objective of ensuring that Ghanaians aged 15 and above have the Ghana Cards for the purposes of identification and verification, the Ag. Executive Secretary has constituted a technical team to expedite the printing of the backlogs and to oversee its distribution to the various district offices for onward issuance,” the NIA announcement notes.

It adds that citizens will be informed accordingly whenever issuance will commence in district registration offices around the country.

Meanwhile, the body also used the announcement to inform the public that “more than 600,000 Ghana Cards have been printed but remain uncollected at the various regional and district offices since 2018.”

The body mentioned that in the face of challenges that hinder the collection of printed cards, its teams are already developing “an efficient system to help distribute these cards for their intended use,” while pledging its commitment to “conducting its operations efficiently and in the best interest of the nation.”

Ghana Card as hallmark of digital transformation

The Ghana Card is often referenced as one of the important aspects that underpin Ghana’s digital transformation agenda.

In a recent lecture at Harvard University in the United States, the country’s former Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, highlighted the key steps that have marked Ghana’s digital transformation efforts, citing the Ghana Crad as one of them.

Explaining the scenario that obtained before the introduction of the biometric Ghana Card, Bawumia said, as quoted: “One of the biggest challenges was the inability to uniquely identify individuals. It was possible to be born, live an entire life, die, and be buried in Ghana without any official record of your existence. This made it difficult to access public services such as acquiring a driver’s licence, passport, or government permits.”

He said beyond the Ghana Card digital ID, the government, in the past eight years, has made significant efforts in incorporating digital technologies into the country’s public administration and governance in general.

Bawumia then called for a mindset change among African countries to effectively embrace the wonders of new technologies, using the Ghana example where the early efforts to push for digitalization were derided by some, My Joy Online reports.

“We must believe that we can leapfrog advanced nations in many areas if we put our minds to it,” Bawumia told the lecture attendees, adding that meaningful partnerships and collaborations are necessary in achieving this ambition.

The Ghana Card is one component of the country’s digital public infrastructure (DPI) which is helping to drive financial inclusion.

Biometric verification for national service personnel

Relatedly, all those who have been in the National Service Scheme in Ghana since October last year have been told to complete their biometric validation requirements in the next 30 days.

The 6,635 personnel concerned make up the 2024-2025 batch of the program, and they have been given till March 15 to comply or be removed from the program, according to a Ghana National Service Authority (NSA) press release.

National service personnel in Ghana are fresh university graduates who go through a one-year service program during which they are deployed to work in various areas of the public service.

According to the NSA Director General, Felix Gyamfi, the biometric compliance measures for the personnel are in line with the President’s transformation program which seeks to enhance transparency, efficiency, and accountability in the National Service Deployment process.

“Additionally, deployed service personnel will not be placed on the payroll until they have successfully completed biometric validation and presented themselves at their assigned district for monthly evaluation,” the NSA insists.

Article Topics

Africa  |  biometrics  |  Ghana  |  Ghana Card  |  identity management  |  national ID  |  National Identification Authority (NIA)