NIA develops mobile app to extend Ghana Card biometric verification to individuals, small businesses

The National Identification Authority (NIA) is preparing to introduce a mobile application that will allow individuals and small businesses to verify identities through the Ghana Card biometric system without having to access its main verification platform.

The application is intended to widen access to identity verification services, particularly for users who may find it difficult to meet the certification and administrative requirements for institutional access to the Authority’s main platform.

Its development follows the NIA’s enforcement of the National Identity Register (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2523), which prohibit the photocopying, scanning and visual inspection of Ghana Cards as methods of identity verification.

Speaking at a press briefing in Accra on Monday, November 2, 2026, the NIA’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Williams Ampomah Emmanuel Darlas, said the application would provide a straightforward “yes or no” response to confirm whether a person’s biometric identity matches the information presented.

He explained that institutions seeking access to the main verification platform must first obtain certification from the Data Protection Commission, a requirement that could pose challenges for individuals and smaller businesses.

“Those who will have the certification, we have a platform we get them on-boarded onto. Those who would not have it, we have developed an app, a mobile app for them, where you can get a yes or no,” he said.

Mr Darlas said access to the main platform was not necessarily expensive, with charges varying according to the verification needs and operational processes of individual institutions.

“The cost for getting on-boarded onto the verification platform, some institutions are paying as low as 10 pesewas for verification services to the National Identification Authority. So it is not much, depending on the workflow of your institution,” he added.

He said the mobile application was designed to bridge the access gap and make biometric verification available to a broader range of users. He also assured the public that safeguards had been incorporated to protect personal information and prevent unauthorised disclosure through the application.