Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Margins ID Group, Moses Kwesi Baiden Jnr., says Ghana has developed one of the most integrated digital identity systems in the world, with the Ghana Card now serving as a key platform across several sectors of the economy.

Speaking at the 2026 edition of the ID4Africa Annual General Meeting 2026 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Mr Baiden said Ghana’s national identity system was designed from the outset to allow interoperability between institutions and public services.

“Most countries stop at the card. Ghana designed interoperability as the objective from day one,” he said during a keynote presentation on the theme, “Achieving Interoperability: Linking the Ghana Card Across National Identity Systems and Platforms.”

According to him, Ghana’s identity ecosystem has moved beyond the issuance of physical identity cards and now functions as part of the country’s broader digital public infrastructure.

Ghana Card integration expanding

Mr Baiden disclosed that approximately 19.4 million people have been enrolled onto the Ghana Card system, with adult population coverage exceeding 92 per cent nationwide.

He said more than 262 institutions have so far been integrated into the platform, including organisations within the banking, telecommunications, healthcare, taxation, transport and social protection sectors.

The integration allows institutions to use the Ghana Card for verification and service delivery purposes.

“Every citizen now has a digital version of themselves through which they interact with the world,” he stated.

The Ghana Card is currently used within the banking sector as part of Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements and has also been integrated with institutions such as the National Health Insurance Authority, Ghana Revenue Authority and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority.

Industry analysts say the growing integration of the Ghana Card is improving verification processes, reducing identity-related fraud and enhancing service delivery across several sectors.

Importance of trust and legal identity

Mr Baiden stressed that interoperability within national identity systems must go beyond technology and be supported by strong governance frameworks, cybersecurity protections and legal identity structures.

“A trusted identity begins with a legal identity,” he said.

He cautioned that digital identity systems without adequate governance and security safeguards could expose countries to cyber risks and vulnerabilities.

“Interoperability without trust is simply risk exposure,” he added.

The Ghana Card system operates through a public-private partnership involving the National Identification Authority and Margins ID Group through its subsidiary, Identity Management Systems II.

Under the arrangement, the National Identification Authority oversees governance, regulation and data protection, while Margins ID Group manages aspects of the technical infrastructure behind the system.

Africa’s digital identity opportunities

Mr Baiden also argued that African countries have an opportunity to develop modern digital identity systems without some of the limitations associated with older infrastructure in advanced economies.

“In Africa, we can leapfrog many of the legacy systems and design identity ecosystems fit for today’s digital realities,” he stated.

Margins ID Group also participated in the exhibition segment of the conference, where it showcased biometric technologies, verification systems and identity management solutions to delegates from governments, technology companies and development institutions from more than 100 countries.

Observers at the conference described Ghana’s identity infrastructure as one of the continent’s most developed digital identity systems currently operating at a national scale.