By Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
The National Identification Authority (NIA) has announced that the backlog of unissued Ghana Cards accumulated between March 2023 and January 2025 has been fully cleared, paving the way for instant issuance of the national identity cards across the country.
Head of Corporate Affairs at the NIA, Williams Ampomah E. Darlas, disclosed this in an interview with the Daily Graphic on Thursday, September 11, 2025. He explained that the delays during the two-year period were largely due to a shortage of blank cards, which crippled the Authority’s operations.
“Now, under the new administration, all those backlogs have been cleared. If you registered and did not get your card, you can now go back to the centre where you registered and collect it,” he assured.
Currently, 292 registration centres are operational nationwide. According to Mr Darlas, new applicants can now receive their Ghana Cards instantly upon registration. “If you register today, you should be able to get your card today,” he stressed.
Providing updated statistics, the NIA revealed that 18,950,942 Ghanaians have so far been enrolled in the system. Out of that number, 18,848,635 cards have been printed, while 17,747,459 have already been issued to applicants. “We’re basically left with about a million, a little less than a million cards to be distributed to applicants,” he added.
Mr Darlas further highlighted that the Ghana Card has become the backbone of identity verification in the country, with 95 institutions, including all major banks and government agencies—already integrated with the NIA platform for real-time authentication. Smaller institutions, such as microfinance companies, are expected to be brought on board through a new mobile application currently under development.
The NIA says it remains committed to protecting the integrity of Ghana’s national identification system and strengthening its role as the foundation for public service delivery, financial inclusion, and national security.
