The National Identification Authority (NIA) has completed the nationwide mass registration and the mop-up exercises with the issuance of 13,848,697 cards to Ghanaians, home and abroad, as well as foreign nationals with residence permits in Ghana.
The exercise, which began in the Greater Accra Region on April 29, 2019, saw a total enrolment of 15,549,242, out of which 14,689,672 cards were printed.
However, the number of cards that have been printed but not issued and print backlog amount to 840,974 and 859,570, respectively.
The number of people who registered with required documents, such as passports and birth certificates, stood at 3,306,799, while those who registered through vouching by oath were 12,191,654.
The total enrolment is made up of 8,268,429 females and 7,280,813 males.
The top five regions with the largest enrolment of people above 15 years are Ashanti, 3,016,319; Greater Accra, 2,970,391; Eastern, 1,670,262; Central, 1,670,262, and Western, 1,175,058.
Event
The Chief Executive Officer of the NIA, Professor Ken Attafuah, who was speaking at a press conference in Accra yesterday, described the mass registration exercise as a success and expressed appreciation to all stakeholders for their support.
“The Ghana Card, which is a biometric passport, will ease travelling within the ECOWAS sub-region. It is unparalleled in the history of any nation that within a year of acquiring a national ID card, we have this number of people possessing passports valid for travel,” he added.
Verification system
Prof. Attafuah said the NIA had signed a memorandum of understanding with a number of user agencies, such as the Bank of Ghana, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), the security agencies, the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and the telecom companies, to facilitate data harmonisation and integration.
“We have started the verification of the user system for agencies and the service could be available by the first week of October this year,” he said.
He said the national identification system would also ensure the social and economic inclusion of people desirous of participating in e-commerce, e-governance, e-health and related services and facilities.
He further said it would enhance revenue mobilisation and good governance, ensure cost-saving and efficient public administration, among other benefits.
Decentralisation
To facilitate the release of printed cards, the CEO said the NIA intended to establish regional and district offices across the country.
He, therefore, called on various metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies which the authority had written to, to help provide office spaces.
“We have also written to the Ministry of Finance for financial clearance to recruit about 3,200 staff for the regional and district offices,” Prof. Attafuah said.
