Ghana is preparing to introduce biometric verification for SIM card registration by the end of 2026, in a move aimed at strengthening the identification of mobile subscribers and closing gaps in the existing registration system.
Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations Minister Samuel Nartey George announced the planned rollout at the Government Accountability Series held at Jubilee House in Accra on Monday, September 7, 2026.
The announcement follows Parliament’s passage of the Legislative Instrument (LI) on SIM registration, paving the way for the government to implement the next phase of the exercise.
Under the new system, subscribers will be required to provide biometric information, including fingerprints, in addition to identification documents to verify ownership of SIM cards.
The government expects the additional verification layer to make it more difficult for individuals to register SIM cards using stolen or fraudulent identities and improve the ability of law enforcement agencies to trace subscribers linked to fraud and other criminal activities.
Mr George said the government was determined to strengthen Ghana’s digital regulatory systems as technology and the use of digital services continue to evolve.
“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 planned biometric system also seeks to address some of the challenges experienced during the previous SIM registration exercise, which commenced in October 2021.
That exercise required subscribers to link their SIM cards to their Ghana Cards before completing biometric registration at the offices or authorised outlets of network operators.
By October 2022, approximately 28.96 million SIM cards had been linked to Ghana Cards, representing 67.28 per cent of issued SIMs. However, only about 18.93 million SIM cards, equivalent to 44.28 per cent, had completed the full registration process.
The exercise officially ended on May 31, 2023, after several extensions, leaving a significant number of subscribers who had completed only the initial linking stage.
With biometric verification now set to become part of the process, the government is seeking to establish a more robust system for confirming the identity of SIM owners.
The measure is expected to strengthen the integrity of subscriber data while improving the traceability of mobile users as Ghana continues to expand its digital economy.
