Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has announced that the government is preparing to introduce biometric verification into Ghana’s SIM registration process before the end of 2026.
The new system is expected to add another layer of identity verification to the registration process and help address gaps that persisted during the previous SIM registration exercise.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series at Jubilee House in Accra on Monday, September 7, 2026, Mr George said Parliament had passed the Legislative Instrument (LI) governing SIM registration, clearing the way for the next phase of the exercise.
He said the government was committed to ensuring that Ghana’s regulatory framework evolves alongside rapid developments in digital technology.
“The work is far from finished, and I will not pretend otherwise. But the direction is unmistakable, the results are measurable, and the resolve of this Ministry is unshaken,” he said.
The biometric verification system is expected to strengthen the process of linking SIM cards to identifiable individuals, while improving the reliability of subscriber information held by telecommunications operators.
The move forms part of broader efforts by the government to strengthen Ghana’s digital identity infrastructure and enhance security across the telecommunications and digital services ecosystem.
Ghana’s SIM registration exercise began on October 1, 2021, with subscribers required to link their SIM cards to their Ghana Cards before completing biometric registration at designated service centres and agents.
However, the exercise faced significant compliance challenges.
By October 2022, about 28.96 million SIM cards had been linked to Ghana Cards, representing 67.28% of all SIM cards issued at the time. Only 18.93 million, equivalent to 44.28%, had completed the full registration process.
This left nearly 10 million subscribers who had completed the first stage but had not undergone biometric capture.
The registration exercise eventually ended on May 31, 2023, following several deadline extensions. A significant number of subscribers had still not completed the process, leading telecommunications companies to deactivate millions of SIM cards.
MTN Ghana, for instance, blocked approximately 5.4 million SIM cards at the close of the exercise.
The government and the National Communications Authority (NCA) have since acknowledged the need to strengthen the registration framework to better achieve its objectives of combating fraud and improving confidence in telecommunications services.
Under the new arrangement, subscribers are expected to provide biometric information, including fingerprints, to verify their identities.
The requirement is intended to make it more difficult to obtain SIM cards using false or fraudulent identities and improve the ability of authorities to trace subscribers where SIM cards are used in criminal activities.
The NCA began preparations for the new phase earlier this year when it held stakeholder consultations on March 13, 2026, on draft regulations for SIM registration.
Among the issues considered were registration requirements for Ghanaian residents and foreigners, operational and financial implications, the number of SIM cards that may be registered to a single identification card, as well as provisions concerning minors and diplomats.
With Parliament having passed the relevant LI, the Ministry is expected to work with the NCA and telecommunications operators to operationalise the biometric verification system before the end of the year.
Further guidelines are expected to clarify how subscribers will be required to complete the process and the consequences for those who fail to comply within the stipulated period.
