(3 Minutes Read)
Ghana’s government plans to launch an entirely new nationwide SIM card registration program by the first quarter of 2026, according to the Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George.
The Minister announced that the previous registration exercise—implemented under the former New Patriotic Party (NPP) government—has been deemed “invalid” because it did not include robust biometric verification. This omission, he explained, meant the exercise failed to comply with the country’s established national identification requirements.
The forthcoming program will not revise or build upon the earlier effort; instead, it will restart the process from scratch. George noted that the legal framework necessary to support the initiative is nearing completion, with a new Legislative Instrument (L.I.) set to be presented to Parliament to formally authorize the registration exercise.
To prepare for the rollout, the government is in discussions with the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) to appoint a qualified service provider. Additionally, technical integration with the National Identification Authority (NIA) has already been finalized to ensure that biometric verification is secure and consistent with national ID standards.
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The Minister also disclosed that authorities are currently reviewing and authenticating biometric data gathered during the previous registration attempt. He revealed that approximately 80% of the records have been successfully cross-checked against information in the NIA’s database. Once the legislative and procurement processes are completed, the new SIM registration exercise is expected to commence within the first three months of 2026.
