The National Identification Authority (NIA) has announced that it will deploy a Police-backed enforcement taskforce after November 2, 2026, to ensure institutions comply with new biometric identity verification requirements for the Ghana Card.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem programme, NIA Chief Executive Officer, Wisdom Yayra Koku Deku, said all public and private organisations that use the Ghana Card for identity verification must connect to the NIA Identity Verification Platform. These include government agencies, insurance companies, telecommunications firms, the Lands Commission and other institutions.
He explained that the move is intended to strengthen Ghana’s identity verification system and curb misuse of the Ghana Card.
Mr Deku stressed that “visual inspection and photocopying are banned. The biometric verification is now the accepted means of verifying identity.”
According to him, institutions have until November 2, 2026, to complete the onboarding process. Between July 27 and the deadline, organisations can apply through the NIA’s official channels to gain access to the verification platform.
He added that “after November 2, we will have a biometric enforcement taskforce with the Police to go to organisations and check if they have done it. Those who have not complied, we will see how to deal with them.”
The directive follows amendments to the National Identity Register Regulations (L.I. 2111), which make biometric verification compulsory for all transactions requiring identity authentication. Under the revised law, institutions that fail to comply face fines of between 500 and 2,000 penalty units upon summary conviction, while individuals who violate the regulations could be fined between 50 and 500 penalty units.
By: Prince Martey-Sogar