The government has issued a sweeping directive prohibiting all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) from operating or developing any independent biometric systems, as part of a renewed effort to ensure data harmonization, security, and efficiency across state institutions.
The directive, signed by Dr Callistus Mahama, Secretary to the President, and reaffirmed by Yayra Koku, Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA), takes effect immediately.
It bans all MDAs and MMDAs from procuring, developing, or deploying independent Automated Fingerprint Identification Systems (AFIS), operating parallel biometric databases, or verifying identities through physical inspection of Ghana Cards without biometric verification.
In the statement, the Presidency emphasized that any MDA that requires a specialized biometric system due to unique operational needs must seek explicit written approval from the Office of the President.
“Effective immediately, all MDAs are prohibited from procuring, developing, or deploying independent biometric AFIS, operating parallel biometric databases to the NIA, verifying the identities of persons they transact business with using ocular inspection of the Ghana Card without any biometric verification and authentication, or entering into new contracts for the procurement of biometric systems without express authorization”.
Dr Callistus Mahama, Secretary to the President
The government explained that the new moratorium aligns with its broader commitment to promoting efficient resource utilization, safeguarding national data, and ensuring standardization in biometric identification systems.
It also reaffirms the NIA’s exclusive legal mandate, under the National Identification Authority Act, 2006 (Act 707), the National Identity Register Act, 2008 (Act 750), and the National Identity Register Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2111), to manage all aspects of national biometric identification, registration, and issuance of Ghana Cards to citizens and legally resident foreign nationals.
National Identification System (NIS) Integration
According to the directive, MDAs that currently operate independent biometric systems are required to integrate with the National Identification System (NIS) of the NIA within six months. Failure to comply, it warned, would render such biometric procurements or systems illegal and considered “a blatant disregard of this directive.”
Mr. Koku, in a separate statement, noted that this renewed enforcement follows similar efforts made more than a decade ago to streamline the country’s biometric infrastructure.
“In 2014, the Presidency issued a moratorium prohibiting all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) from acquiring biometric systems (AFIS) and further directed that steps should be taken to harmonize with the NIA database”.
Yayra Koku, Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority
He explained that the 2014 directive was necessitated by the passage of L.I. 2111 in 2012, which legally designated the Ghana Card as the only national identification card for all transactions requiring identity verification in Ghana.
“The government has reissued the same directive, this time providing additional guidance to all MDAs and MMDAs,” Mr. Koku said, stressing that the objective is to strengthen coordination and eliminate duplication of biometric infrastructure across the public sector.
Ban on Ocular Examination
In what represents a major tightening of enforcement, the new directive goes further to ban “ocular examination” of Ghana Cards — the practice where officials verify a cardholder’s identity through physical inspection of the card rather than biometric validation.
“All MDAs and MMDAs are prohibited from conducting ocular examinations of Ghana Cards, that is, physical checks of the card before transactions,” the statement said. Instead, institutions are required to integrate with the NIA’s verification platform to ensure that all identity checks are done electronically and biometrically.
This move, the NIA explained, is crucial for enhancing the integrity of the national identification ecosystem and ensuring that only verified data is used for public services and transactions. The integration will also minimize fraud, reduce administrative inefficiencies, and enable seamless interoperability among government databases.
“All MDAs and MMDAs must take steps to integrate with the NIA’s verification platform for the authentication of Ghana Cardholders,” Mr. Koku reiterated. He added that the government’s focus is not only on unifying data systems but also on protecting public funds from wasteful duplication of technology investments.
In line with the directive, the Minister for the Interior has been tasked with monitoring compliance and reporting any breaches to the Presidency. Institutions found violating the order could face administrative or legal sanctions.
The directive is expected to have far-reaching implications for public agencies that have, over the years, developed or relied on their own biometric databases, such as the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), and the Electoral Commission (EC).
These entities, among others, will now be required to align their systems with the NIA’s central biometric platform within the six-month compliance window. Analysts have long called for greater integration of biometric systems in Ghana to avoid inefficiencies and data fragmentation across government agencies.
The NIA’s platform, which underpins the Ghana Card, was designed as a centralized and interoperable system capable of serving as the single source of identity verification for all sectors, both public and private.
Government officials believe that full compliance will lead to a more secure, reliable, and cost-effective national identity ecosystem. It will also strengthen digital service delivery, particularly in financial services, social protection programs, and e-governance.
Mr. Koku noted that, once integration is completed, the NIA’s system will enable instant, biometric-based identity verification for all Ghanaians, whether they are accessing healthcare, social welfare, banking services, or government transactions.
The reissued moratorium, therefore, marks a critical step toward consolidating Ghana’s biometric data infrastructure under one authoritative system — a move the government believes is vital for effective governance, digital transformation, and the protection of citizens’ personal data.
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