The National Identification Authority (NIA) will from Tuesday, November 3, begin enforcing regulations requiring institutions to use approved biometric systems for identity verification, warning that breaches will attract legal sanctions.
The enforcement follows the expiration of a three-month grace period granted by the Minister of the Interior, Mr Muntaka Mubarak, to allow institutions to prepare for compliance with the National Identity Register Amendment Regulation, 2026 (L.I. 2523).
Mr Williams Ampomah Emmanuel Darlas, Head of the NIA Corporate Affairs Directorate, announced the enforcement at a press conference in Accra on Monday, saying a dedicated Biometric Verification Implementation Task Force would be deployed to monitor compliance across public and private institutions.
He said the task force would conduct inspections to identify institutions operating outside the requirements of the regulation and take appropriate action against offenders.
According to him, the Authority used the three-month transition period to intensify public education and engage stakeholders on the new identity verification requirements.
These included radio and television campaigns, social media sensitisation and direct engagements with institutions already using the NIA’s verification platform, as well as those yet to complete the onboarding process.
Mr Darlas explained that the regulation required institutions and individuals conducting transactions involving identity verification to use approved biometric systems rather than depending solely on physical inspection of the Ghana Card.
It also prohibits the photocopying, scanning or retention of Ghana Card copies as a means of verifying the identity of individuals.
He cautioned organisations against obtaining access to the National Identity Register through third-party providers, stressing that the NIA had not authorised any intermediaries, agents or resellers to facilitate institutional onboarding.
Institutions seeking access to the verification platform, he said, must deal directly with the Authority and complete its established approval procedures.
He outlined the requirements to include legal registration in Ghana, certification by the Data Protection Commission and successful technical integration with the NIA before a formal agreement could be signed.
The NIA official also raised concerns about institutions already connected to the platform extending their access to other organisations without authorisation.
He said the Authority had identified cases where some businesses, particularly small and medium-scale enterprises, were accessing the system through arrangements with previously onboarded institutions.
Such practices, he warned, would attract sanctions as the Authority moved to close loopholes in the implementation of the regulation.
Institutions found violating L.I. 2523 could face fines ranging from 500 to 2,000 penalty units, depending on the nature of the offence.
Other administrative measures would include suspension or removal from the NIA’s biometric verification platform and restrictions on future access.
Mr Darlas stressed that compliance was a statutory requirement and not a matter of choice, adding that institutions could not determine when or whether to undertake biometric verification.
He said the regulation was designed to strengthen Ghana’s identity management system, minimise impersonation and identity fraud, and safeguard the personal information of citizens.
He urged businesses and public institutions to assess their existing verification arrangements, obtain services directly from the NIA and correct any agreements or practices that fell outside the law.
He further warned that the Authority would monitor compliance with the Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), noting that institutions found mishandling personal information risked losing access to the verification platform.
Members of the public were also encouraged to report institutions suspected of violating the regulations through the NIA Biometric Verification Task Force hotline on 030-2999-309.
The Authority, he said, would sustain its public education campaigns through traditional and digital media to improve understanding of the new requirements.
