By: Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
Government has announced the beginning of processes for a new nationwide SIM card registration exercise that will include live biometric verification against the National Identification Authority database.
Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George made the announcement at the Data Protection Conference 2026, stating that the previous SIM registration exercise failed to include biometric verification against the NIA database.
He said the upcoming exercise will be the first in Ghana’s history to feature live verification and biometric authentication for every registration.
Mr. George assured that measures are being put in place to prioritise customer comfort and avoid long queues experienced during previous exercises. These include the introduction of self-service portals and a more seamless registration process in collaboration with the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications.
The Minister added that the National Communications Authority is currently engaging stakeholders on the rollout, while the Data Protection Commission will play a central role in ensuring compliance with data protection standards.
He emphasised that as more public services move online, linking physical identity to digital identity through standardised biometric protocols has become critical, describing the Ghana Card as the single source of truth for identity verification across platforms.
