The National Identification Authority (NIA) has expressed its intention to develop a dynamic database by creating a single system that encompasses all registrant details, including genealogical trees.

This initiative is aimed at strengthening Ghana’s national identity system and making the Ghana Card a round service card for the citizenry.

The Director of Corporate Affairs at the NIA, Williams Ampomah Emmanuel Darlas, stated that the initiative, which also involves integrating NHIS client details into the Ghana Card, among other features, would enable quick and easy background checks of cardholders.

He spoke to myjoyonline.com in Ho on the second day of the 21-day registration exercise for children aged between six and fourteen, with the first phase beginning in the Volta and Oti Regions.

“Now, the uniqueness of this exercise is that, because these are minors, we have, as a matter of policy, decided to secure and bind their records.

"What that means is that after registering them, we link their details to whoever vouches for them, the parent who accompanied them, or the relative who came with them, so that in future, when tracing their roots, it becomes very straightforward.”

“National Identification Authority is an authority that is committed to building dynamic data, and in our effort to keep our data dynamic, that is why we are undertaking all these measures to prevent our data from becoming static,” he explained.

He mentioned that the authority aims to register approximately 3.1 million children nationwide by the end of the programme and link their National Health Insurance details to the Ghana Card to improve service accessibility.

“We are doing this in collaboration with the National Health Insurance Authority. We are linking children who have already registered and obtained the national health insurance card or number to the Ghana Card, so that in future, when you go to the hospital, your Ghana Card will handle your records. This registration is being conducted at no cost to the children,” he added.

However, technical issues hindered the authority’s goal of issuing Ghana Cards to applicants immediately.

“You know, as it is with machines and technology, we did all we could — site surveys and all — to ensure that wherever we place a machine, if there is no network, we set up a print farm somewhere, so that if today we register, we send the records there, and print the cards the next day. Then, we come and issue the cards to the children, because we have learned from history,” Mr Darlas explained.

Registration centres have been set up on basic school campuses across the Volta and Oti Regions to register applicants daily from 8:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m over the 21 days.

To fully register children aged 6 to 14, additional centres will be established within communities to ensure children not enrolled in school are also registered, ensuring broad coverage.s