The National Identification Authority (NIA) has issued a stern caution to public and private institutions over the growing reliance on physical examination and photocopying of the Ghana Card for identity verification, a practice it says compromises the integrity of the national identification system.
In a statement signed by Head of Corporate Affairs, Williams Ampomah E. Darlas, the NIA expressed concern that banks, corporate bodies, government agencies, and other financial service providers continue to verify identities merely through visual inspection or making photocopies of the Ghana Card. The Authority warned that this trend contributes to the circulation of counterfeit cards by fraudulent individuals.
According to the NIA, institutions must utilise the Identity Verification System Platform (IVSP), the only official and secure method approved for real-time identity authentication.
“Physical inspection or photocopying alone is not a secure or sufficient means of verifying the authenticity of the Ghana Card,” the statement stressed.
Institutions are therefore encouraged to contact the NIA via email at idverification@nia.gov.gh to initiate the onboarding process onto the IVSP.
The Authority says this move will ensure instant and reliable verification and help preserve the credibility of the Ghana Card as Ghana’s definitive proof of identity.
The NIA warned that entities that continue to ignore this directive do so at their own risk, and may suffer consequences including identity theft, financial loss, and reputational harm, liabilities for which the NIA will not be responsible.
“All institutions relying on the Ghana Card for their operations are urged to take immediate steps to comply with this directive to protect their clients, their operations, and the nation as a whole,” the statement concluded.
