The Chief Executive Officer of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Wisdom Yayra Koku Deku, has announced that a proposed amendment to the NIA Act, 2006 (Act 707), will significantly reshape the Authority’s mandate and strengthen national security operations.
Under the bill, which is before Parliament, the NIA will be placed permanently under the Ministry of the Interior. More critically, the amendment will grant security and intelligence agencies direct access to the NIA’s biometric database, a move expected to improve the tracking of suspects and streamline identity verification processes.
Explaining the reforms, Mr. Deku said the database integration will allow law enforcement officers to annotate ID cards with relevant information during investigations, thereby enhancing efficiency in crime prevention and prosecution.
“With the new amendment of the NIA Act 707, if passed, the Authority will be permanently placed under the Interior Ministry, grant security agencies access to the NIA’s database, and align its operations with the country’s national security framework,” he stated in a post shared on social media.
He stressed that the changes are necessary because the existing Act does not adequately embed the NIA within the country’s security architecture.
This, he noted, has led to limited collaboration with law enforcement and intelligence agencies despite identity management being a critical national security issue.
The amendment is also expected to strengthen Ghana’s identity management system by ensuring that biometric data collected under the national ID programme is fully utilised to support law enforcement, counter-terrorism measures, and anti-fraud initiatives.
It has been long argued that a comprehensive national identification system is central to both development planning and security.
However, the new proposal, if passed, would therefore close gaps in the current legal framework, while reinforcing the NIA’s role as a vital institution in safeguarding public safety.
