NIA to register Ghanaians aged six to 14 from October 7, 2024

The National Identification Authority (NIA), in collaboration with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), will begin registering Ghanaians aged six to 14 years from October 7, 2024, to March 2025.  
 
Out of 6.2 million children, the goal is to register at least 2,850,000 during the first phase of the initiative over five months. 
 
Mr. Alfred Gazari, Deputy Director of Operations at NIA, disclosed this during a stakeholder engagement held at the Authority’s head office in Accra on Thursday.  
 
He emphasized the significance of the Ghana card, stating, “Everyone needs the card, as it’s essential for meaningful activities in the country today.” 
 
The Authority had previously registered Ghanaians over 15 years old and initiated registration for children aged zero to five, with the six to 14 age group being the final phase.  
 
To register, a child’s birth certificate or valid passport is required; without that, one or both parents must be present to vouch for the child.

The parent must also present their own Ghana card, Mr. Gazari noted. 
 
He stated that schools, children’s homes, and other facilities housing children would serve as registration centers, including NIA offices.  
 
Children not attending school could go to the nearest school in their community or an NIA office in the district to register. 
 
Mr. Joe Annor-Darkwah, Deputy Director of MIS Business, Systems, and IT Projects at NHIA, said the collaboration with NIA would expedite the registration of children, reduce operational costs for the Authority, and increase data coverage from approximately 18 million to over 24 million by the end of the exercise.

 
Ms. De-Sylvia Boatemaa Asare, Head of Operations at Identity Management Systems II, a technical partner in the registration exercise, mentioned that a robust system had been implemented to ensure its success.

 
Mrs. Ekuba Quayenortey, Principal Officer for Corporate Affairs at NIA, assured that an effective communication campaign would be launched to guarantee the successful delivery of the initiative.