The National Identification Authority (NIA) has launched a significant initiative to expand Ghana Card services to citizens residing abroad. As part of the first phase of the pilot program, Ghanaians in Ottawa and Ontario, Canada, are now able to obtain their Ghana Cards. This move aims to make it easier for the Ghanaian diaspora to access the national identification system, ensuring that Ghanaians worldwide can benefit from the services tied to the Ghana Card. The exercise is expected to be expanded to other countries in future phases.
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The National Identification Authority (NIA) has officially launched the pilot phase of its Ghana Card registration for Ghanaians living abroad, starting in Ottawa and Ontario, Canada. The initiative will soon extend to Washington, D.C., and New York in the United States.
Last week, NIA officials, along with representatives from their technical partner, Identity Management Systems (IMS), conducted public outreach programs in Ottawa and Ontario. They also trained selected staff from Ghana’s mission in Canada to serve as registration officers, helping facilitate the registration process for Ghanaians during this first phase.
Officials from the NIA and IMS, are currently in New York to hold public engagements and train embassy staff to serve as registration officers.
Ghanaians living abroad can now conveniently complete the Ghana Card registration process by filling out forms and making payments online from their homes. After scheduling an appointment, applicants, along with those vouching for them, undergo an online interview.
On the scheduled date and time, applicants visit their respective missions to provide biometric data and receive their cards. The entire in-person process is designed to take just 10 minutes, offering a more streamlined and flexible experience for Ghanaians abroad.
The registration fees for the Ghana Card, as approved by Parliament, differ based on region: ECOWAS nationals are charged $55, other African nationals pay $75, and individuals from other parts of the world are required to pay $115.
This registration is open to individuals aged six and above. Applicants need valid passports or birth certificates to complete the process, but those without these documents can be vouched for during the interview stage. However, non-Ghanaian spouses and individuals who have renounced their Ghanaian citizenship are not eligible to register.
Dual citizens who can prove their Ghanaian heritage are eligible to acquire the Ghana card.
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NIA Board Chairman Mr. Abel Edusei described the engagement as a major milestone in the NIA’s work to identify Ghanaians around the world.
He noted that the engagement in Ottawa is historic and a significant step in the NIA’s effort to extend the Ghana Card beyond the borders of Ghana.
NIA Executive Secretary Prof. Kenneth Agyemang Attafuah announced plans to train the staff of Ghana’s missions to handle registrations, explaining that NIA is legally mandated to train these officials as registration officers.
Prof. Attafuah also took participants through the NIA’s mandate, its achievements, and the integration of the Ghana Card into the ECOWAS system to avoid the need for a separate ECOWAS identity card.
Security features of the Ghana Card
Prof. Attafuah emphasized the robust security features of the National Identification System (NIS), noting that first-time Ghana Card registration is free at NIA district and regional offices across Ghana.
However, he clarified that fees apply for registrations conducted at premium centres or for groups and institutions. Additionally, cardholders will be required to pay for a replacement card when their current one expires after 10 years.
He also informed the audience that the Ghana Card’s Personal Identification Number (PIN) will serve as a unified identifier, replacing other numbers such as the SSNIT number, TIN, and NHIS number.
In response to inquiries, IMS Executive Director Mr. Emmanuel Selby assured attendees that all data is securely stored within Ghana, rather than in the cloud. He detailed that private virtual networks are utilized between registration centers and the NIA’s site.
Mr. Selby further explained that the primary data center is housed at NIA’s Head Office in Accra, with a secondary disaster recovery facility located in Kumasi. He noted that real-time data synchronization occurs between the two sites to ensure data security and continuity.
He emphasized that only specific subsets of data are shared with authorized institutions, in accordance with legal mandates, and that biometric information is never shared with user agencies.
IMS Chief Operating Officer, Mr. James Cantamantu-Koomson, added that biometric verification is conducted for each transaction to prevent identity theft, highlighting that visually inspecting the cards alone carries risks.
In Ottawa, Ghana’s Ambassador to Canada, Anselm Ransford Adjetey Sowah, hosted a community engagement session where participants expressed their appreciation for the informative discussion on the Ghana Card registration process, calling it highly beneficial.
SOURCE: https://dew360.net
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