The Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority, Wisdom Kwaku Deku, says more than 18.7 million Ghana Cards have been issued since the rollout of the national identification system.

He made the disclosure at the launch of the NIA’s 20th anniversary celebrations on Wednesday, May 21, 2026, held under the theme “Reflecting on the Past, Securing the Future: 20 Years of NIA.”

He said the milestone reflects two decades of efforts to build a credible national identity database and expand access to identification services across Ghana.

According to him, the Authority has also registered over 19.4 million Ghanaians aged 15 years and above under the national identity system.

Mr Deku further revealed that more than 529,000 foreigners have been enrolled, while over 200 million biometric verification and card-related transactions have been processed over the years.

He explained that the introduction of free registration at the inception of the programme played a critical role in widening access to identity services.“By insisting on free issuance at the inception of the National Identification System project, we dismantled economic barriers and expanded access to identification across the country,” he stated.

He added that the Authority has expanded its operations nationwide, including infrastructure upgrades, increased registration centres across all sixteen regions, and improvements to its online appointment system.

Mr Deku also disclosed that the NIA is in the final stages of obtaining ISO certifications, including ISO 27001 for information security, ISO 22301 for business continuity, and ISO 20000 for service management, with completion expected by the end of the year.

He further announced proposed amendments to the National Identification Authority Act, 2006 (Act 707) and the National Identity Register Act, 2008 (Act 750), which include plans to permanently align the Authority under the Ministry of the Interior to enhance coordination on national security matters.

Mr Deku urged staff of the Authority to remain committed to professionalism and efficiency as the institution strengthens Ghana’s identity management system.