Ghana Card holders will soon be able to store money, pay for goods and services, and transfer funds directly from their cards, thanks to a new e-wallet platform being developed by the National Identification Authority (NIA).
The initiative is designed as a single, unified system that allows all banks to participate, making transactions smooth, secure, and interoperable. This means a Ghana Card issued by one bank can be used at any other participating bank or service provider without restrictions.
According to NIA Executive Secretary Yayra Korku Deku, the e-wallet is the next phase of the Ghana Card’s evolution. “Once we activate the e-wallet, you can put money on your Ghana Card and use it to pay for anything you do,” he said, highlighting the card’s potential to transform everyday payments in Ghana.
The Ghana Card already functions as a form of identity and travel document, with the e-wallet being added to expand its role into financial transactions.
Beyond everyday payments, the NIA plans to use the Ghana Card for gold trading with the Ghana Gold Board. By adopting tokenization, these transactions will be transparent, secure, and legally verifiable, providing an efficient way for Ghanaians to trade in the financial sector.
Many financial institutions have expressed interest in joining the platform. “We received proposals from banks that want to house it, but we want to build a uniform platform so that all banks can come on board,” Mr. Deku explained.
Speaking to Joy News’ James Avedzi, he added that the e-wallet could generate substantial revenue for the NIA, helping to fund its operations while also promoting financial inclusion across the country.
With the unified Ghana Card e-wallet platform, the NIA aims to create a seamless digital ecosystem where identity, payments, and even commodity trading can happen efficiently on one card, marking a major step toward a cashless, technology-driven Ghana.