Thousands of residents in Ghana’s Western Region risk being excluded from essential public services due to the growing pile-up of uncollected Ghanacards, the National Identification Authority (NIA) has cautioned.
According to the Western Regional Officer of the NIA, Mr. Enoch Benjamin Sackey, over 47,000 printed Ghanacards remain unclaimed at NIA offices across the region, a situation he describes as alarming.
“Many people have completed the registration process but have not returned for their cards. Unfortunately, without the Ghanacard, access to several key services is increasingly restricted,” Mr. Sackey explained following a high-level engagement with Western Regional Minister, Joseph Nelson.
The NIA has reiterated that the Ghanacard is rapidly becoming the primary means of identification for government-related transactions, including health, banking, and social services. Mr. Sackey therefore urged residents to take prompt action and collect their cards.
In a bid to address the backlog, the NIA has taken delivery of 2,700 blank cards and aims to print over 15,000 pending cards in the next three weeks. These will be distributed through both regional and district offices.
Mr. Sackey assured the public that the Authority remains committed to improving identification systems nationwide but stressed that cooperation from citizens is vital.
The NIA continues to roll out initiatives to strengthen its reach and efficiency, as part of its national mandate to provide every Ghanaian with a secure and verifiable identity.
