The Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Wisdom Kwaku Deku, has announced major reforms aimed at deepening the use of Ghana’s national identity system, including plans to make biometric verification mandatory for all transactions.

According to him, proposed amendments currently before Parliament seek to strengthen identity verification processes and eliminate reliance on visual inspection or photocopies of the Ghana Card.

“All transactions should go through biometric verification,” he stated, warning that failure to comply would constitute an offence under the law.

Mr Deku also disclosed that the Authority has resumed nationwide registration for children between the ages of six and 14, with more than 60,000 already registered in the Volta and Oti regions.

He added that technical challenges affecting the registration of children aged between zero and five had been resolved, paving the way for the issuance of Ghana Card PINs at birth.

According to him, the reforms form part of Ghana’s broader national development agenda and align with international commitments, particularly the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16.9, which seeks to ensure legal identity for all by 2030.

“This means that a child born in Ghana can now begin life with a legal identity,” he said.

Mr Deku further revealed that the NIA is expanding its operational reach through the introduction of 24-hour registration centres, international registration missions and stronger integration with other state institutions.

He added that ongoing institutional reforms, including ISO certification processes and legislative amendments, are intended to improve security, efficiency and public confidence in the national identity system.