Ghana’s SIM Registration Biometric Data Was Collected But Never Authenticated

In 2022, the Government of Ghana rolled out a mandatory nationwide SIM card re-registration exercise, requiring every mobile subscriber to link their SIM to their Ghana Card and submit biometric data, including fingerprints and photographs.

The stated goal was to curb fraud, improve security, and strengthen the country’s digital identity system. But new revelations show that after all the stress citizens went through, the biometric data collected was never authenticated against the National Identification Authority (NIA) database.

The Hustle Ghanaians Endured

For many citizens, the SIM registration period was nothing short of a national marathon. Long queues formed daily at telecom service centres and registration points. People had to:

• Join long queues under the sun for hours or even days just to get Ghana Cards or complete SIM linkage.
• Travel to distant district offices because many NIA centres were overwhelmed or short of logistics.
• Take time off work or school to meet registration deadlines, sometimes returning multiple times because systems were down.
• Deal with repeated network failures, frozen biometric scanners, and unresponsive apps at telco centres.
• Face the pressure of losing their SIM numbers permanently if they missed the deadline which led to panic rushes in the final weeks.

Some even paid unofficial “express” fees just to avoid the long wait, while others had their SIM cards deactivated for failing to meet deadlines despite their best efforts.

But the Biometric Data Was Never Authenticated

Shockingly, the National Identification Authority (NIA) has now disclosed that the biometric data captured during the SIM re-registration exercise was never authenticated against its database.

“The fingerprints collected during the SIM card registration exercise in 2022 were NEVER used to verify or authenticate SIM card owners against the National Identification Authority (NIA) system.” the Acting Executive Secretary stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

This means that although fingerprints and personal data were collected nationwide, no proper verification or matching took place to confirm the identities of those who registered. Telecom operators simply captured and stored the data, but it was not cross-checked with NIA records.

Why This Is a Big Problem

Skipping biometric authentication creates serious vulnerabilities:

• Fraud & impersonation: People could register SIM cards using stolen Ghana Card information.
• Data protection risks: Biometric data is permanent — once leaked or misused, it can’t be “reset.”
• Legal gaps: The process raises questions about compliance with Ghana’s Data Protection Act (Act 843).
• Erosion of public trust: Ghanaians went through enormous stress for a process that has now proven to be flawed at its core.

What Happens Next?

The Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, now led by Hon. Samuel Nartey George, has announced plans to roll out a new SIM re-registration exercise to address the failures of the 2022 registration process.

Unlike the previous exercise, this upcoming re-registration will be conducted under a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework designed to tighten identity verification and improve data protection.

Source: TechLabari