Ghana Cards now issued instantly: 2023–2025 backlog cleared — NIA
The National Identification Authority (NIA) has stated that the backlog of unissued Ghana Cards that piled up between March 2023 and January 2025 has been fully cleared, paving the way for instant issuance of the cards across the country.
The Head of the Corporate Affairs Directorate of the NIA, Williams Ampomah E. Darlas, who disclosed this in an interview with the Daily Graphic yesterday (September 11, 2025), said the authority had resolved the shortages of blank cards that crippled operations during that period.
“Between March 2023 and January 2025, yes, we had that issue because there was a shortage of blank cards in the system.
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 explained.
Mr Darlas added that with 292 registration centres currently operating nationwide, new applicants could now receive their Ghana Cards instantly upon registration.
“If you register today, you should be able to get your card today,” he assured.
Providing updated statistics, the Corporate Affairs Director revealed that the authority had so far registered 18,950,942 Ghanaians onto its system.
Out of this number, 18,848,635 cards had been printed, while 17,747,459 had 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 said.
Mr Darlas also indicated that the Ghana Card had become the backbone of identity verification in the country.
About 95 institutions have been on board so far. He also confirmed that all major banks, government agencies and other key institutions were connected to the NIA’s platform for real-time identity verification.
Those that were not yet on board, he said, were being assisted to integrate into the system.
“We are also developing a mobile app that will allow smaller institutions such as microfinance companies to access the platform for their operations,” he disclosed.
No photocopies
The NIA Corporate Affairs head cautioned institutions against demanding photocopies of the Ghana Card, stressing that biometric verification through thumbprints and digital authentication remained the only lawful means of validation.
“No, it’s not allowed.
We are even amending our laws to give us the opportunity to punish institutions that request or photocopy the ID cards of citizens,” he noted.
“It exposes citizens to identity theft and other crimes.”
He emphasised that once Parliament resumed, legislative amendments would be laid to strengthen the authority’s mandate in protecting the integrity of the national identification system.
