The end of the Ghana Card photocopy: NIA unveils Ghana's biggest identity reform yet

The era of photocopying Ghana Cards to access services is coming to an end after the National Identification Authority (NIA) announced that all public and private institutions must now verify identities through biometric authentication, a move aimed at protecting millions of Ghanaians from identity theft, fraud and the misuse of personal data.

The new directive, which took legal effect after Parliament approved the necessary Legislative Instrument (L.I.), means organisations can no longer rely on photocopies or visual inspection of the Ghana Card when processing transactions.

Instead, institutions will be required to authenticate identities through fingerprint or facial biometric verification using the NIA's digital verification platform.

Speaking in an interview monitored by The Executive Spotlight, the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the NIA, Wisdom Kwaku Deku, described the move as one of the biggest reforms in Ghana's identity management system since the introduction of the Ghana Card.

"This is not a punishment for Ghanaians," he stressed. "It is to protect your data and ensure that the person standing before you is truly who they claim to be."

A major shift in identity verification

The decision follows growing concerns over the widespread practice of organisations photocopying Ghana Cards and storing copies of citizens' personal information.

According to the NIA, such practices have exposed many people to identity theft and fraudulent activities.

Mr Deku revealed that government had already issued a directive in October 2025 prohibiting Ministries, Departments and Agencies from purchasing their own Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS), following concerns that various institutions were creating separate biometric databases.

Instead, government directed all institutions to integrate with the NIA's central verification platform.

The latest legal amendment now gives full force to that directive.

The NIA says this will create a single trusted national verification system while eliminating multiple biometric databases across public institutions.

Why photocopying Ghana Cards is now considered risky

According to the NIA boss, a photocopy of a Ghana Card cannot prove a person's identity.

He argued that only biometric verification can establish whether the individual presenting the card is its genuine owner.

"A photocopy only reproduces the image of the card," he explained.

"It does not authenticate the identity of the person holding it."

The Authority says criminals have increasingly exploited photocopies of identity cards to commit fraud.

Mr Deku cited a recent case involving a Ghanaian who guaranteed a loan applicant by submitting a Ghana Card.

Fraudsters allegedly cloned the card and later presented fake copies during transactions.

When investigators eventually contacted the NIA to verify the card, officials discovered that the identification

number did not even exist in the national database.

The incident, according to the Authority, demonstrates why visual inspection alone is no longer sufficient in

modern identity management.

How the new system will work

Under the new regime, institutions seeking to verify identities will connect electronically to the NIA verification platform.

Authentication will be carried out using either:

* Fingerprint verification

* Facial recognition

* Integrated software through the NIA's Application Programming Interface (API)

Businesses that already operate digital systems will be able to integrate directly into the NIA platform, while others may acquire approved biometric verification devices.

Whenever authentication fails, the system will immediately indicate that the identity document is invalid or fraudulent.

The NIA believes this will significantly reduce fake Ghana Cards currently circulating in the country.

Protecting citizens' personal data

One of the strongest justifications for the reform is data protection.

Mr Deku said the Authority has received numerous complaints from Ghanaians who suspect their personal information has been copied and used without their consent.

He explained that biometric verification gives citizens greater control because authentication only occurs with the person's physical presence and biometric confirmation.

Unlike photocopies, fingerprints and facial recognition cannot simply be duplicated on paper for future misuse.

"The objective is to ensure that your data is protected while confirming that you are the genuine owner of your identity."

NIA dismisses fears over foreign access to Ghana's database

Responding to previous public concerns that foreign technology companies may have access to Ghana's identity database, Mr Deku strongly rejected the claims.

He insisted that the NIA remains the sole custodian of Ghana's biometric database.

According to him, the entire database is hosted within the NIA's own premises and is not stored on foreign cloud servers.

Although technical partners provide support, he explained that their system privileges are strictly controlled and monitored through comprehensive audit trails.

"No one simply enters our system and searches for anybody's information," he said.

Requests for personal data, he added, are processed only under strict legal procedures, including court-authorised requests from recognised security agencies.

Ghana Card could become a digital wallet

Perhaps the most ambitious revelation from the interview concerns the future of the Ghana Card.

The NIA disclosed that discussions are underway with the Bank of Ghana and Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems (GhIPSS) to transform the Ghana Card into a secure platform capable of supporting financial transactions.

Under the proposed system, biometric authentication would replace PINs and passwords for many transactions.

Instead of relying on ATM cards or passwords that can be stolen, users would authorise payments through fingerprint or facial verification.

Officials believe such a system could eventually serve more than 19.7 million registered Ghanaians.

"If someone steals your Ghana Card, it becomes useless because they cannot perform any transaction without your biometric verification," Mr Deku explained.

Can the Ghana Card replace voter registration?

The interview also reignited debate over whether Ghana could eventually use the national identity database as the foundation for voter registration.

Mr Deku said the NIA already possesses sufficient demographic information to support voter registration.

However, he cautioned that logistical and legal challenges remain.

Unlike the Electoral Commission's register, which assigns voters to specific polling stations, the NIA database records identity rather than voting locations.

He therefore believes substantial legal reforms and collaboration between the NIA and the Electoral Commission would be required before such a transition could become possible.

He ruled out any possibility of implementing the system before the next general election.

Identity from birth

The NIA is also preparing another major reform that could fundamentally change Ghana's civil registration system.

Working alongside the Births and Deaths Registry, the Authority intends to assign identity numbers to children immediately after birth.

Under the proposed arrangement, newborn babies would receive a national identity number from birth and later obtain their physical Ghana Card when they reach the eligible registration age.

Officials believe the initiative would create a seamless national identity system from birth through adulthood.

Implementation roadmap expected

Although the legal changes have already taken effect, the Interior Minister is expected to announce the detailed implementation roadmap, including timelines for onboarding institutions onto the NIA verification platform.

The Authority acknowledged that many organisations have not yet integrated with the system and says transitional arrangements will be announced in the coming weeks.

A turning point for Ghana's digital identity

The NIA's latest reforms represent one of the most significant changes to Ghana's digital identity architecture since the introduction of the Ghana Card.

If successfully implemented, the shift from photocopies to biometric authentication could transform how banks, telecom companies, hospitals, insurance firms, government agencies and businesses verify identities.

For millions of Ghanaians, it could also mark the beginning of stronger protection against identity theft, reduced fraud and a future where a single secure identity serves as the gateway to public services, financial transactions and, potentially, many other aspects of daily life.