The National Identification Authority (NIA) is set to roll out a mobile application to enable individuals and small businesses to verify identities using the Ghana Card biometric system.
The development follows a directive by the Authority prohibiting the photocopying, scanning and visual inspection (ocular checks) of the Ghana Card as part of efforts to enforce the National Identity Register (Amendment) Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2523).
The application is expected to make biometric verification more accessible to individuals and businesses that may not meet the requirements for accessing the NIA’s main verification platform.
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 simple “yes or no” response to confirm whether an individual’s identity matched the details presented.
He explained that institutions seeking access to the Authority’s main verification platform were required to obtain certification from the Data Protection Commission, a process that could be financially and administratively challenging for some individuals and small 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 further explained that the cost of accessing the main verification platform would depend on the workflow and requirements of each institution, disclosing that some institutions paid as little as 10 pesewas per verification.
“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 said.
He said the mobile application had been developed to bridge the access gap and extend biometric identity verification services to a wider section of the public.
Mr Darlas also assured Ghanaians that measures had been put in place to safeguard personal information and prevent unauthorised disclosure through the application.
“The app will not expose any Ghanaian to identity fraud. We are a tech institution, so we are very careful about what we introduce to the public. Ghanaians must be rest assured that with the mobile app, their information is still secure,” he said.
Source:Fiilafmonline/CitiNews
