Omanghana
Ghana will introduce mandatory biometric verification for all SIM card registrations before the end of 2026, Minister for Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations Samuel Nartey George has announced.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series at Jubilee House in Accra, the minister said the measure is intended to strengthen subscriber identification and address weaknesses identified during the country’s previous SIM registration exercise.
The announcement follows Parliament’s passage of a new Legislative Instrument governing SIM registration. The regulation provides the Ministry, the National Communications Authority and telecommunication operators with the legal authority to require biometric capture for subscriber accounts.
Ghana’s earlier two-stage registration exercise officially ended in May 2023. During the process, more than 28.9 million SIM cards were linked to Ghana Cards, but only about 18.9 million subscribers reportedly completed the physical biometric capture stage.
According to the ministry, the difference created a significant verification gap because some SIM cards were connected to identification numbers without the identities of their users being physically confirmed.
Under the new framework, direct biometric capture, primarily through fingerprints, will become a mandatory requirement for SIM registration rather than a secondary stage that subscribers can leave incomplete.
The policy is expected to help combat mobile money fraud, identity theft and the use of false or stolen personal information to register telephone numbers.
The new Legislative Instrument follows nationwide consultations conducted by the NCA in March 2026. The discussions covered registration requirements for Ghanaian residents, foreign nationals, diplomats and minors.
The framework will also introduce limits on the number of SIM cards that can be registered with a single identity document as part of efforts to strengthen accountability within the telecommunications sector.
The Ministry and the NCA are currently working with mobile network operators to finalize the technical arrangements and implementation schedule.
Subscribers will be given a transition period to complete the mandatory biometric verification process. The government is expected to announce the compliance deadline, registration procedures and possible sanctions for unverified SIM cards before the nationwide rollout begins.
Source: Omanghana
