The government will begin biometric verification for SIM registration before the end of 2026, Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations Minister Samuel Nartey George has announced.
Speaking at the Government Accountability Series at the Jubilee House in Accra on Monday, September 7, 2026, Mr George said Parliament had passed the Legislative Instrument (LI) on SIM registration, paving the way for the implementation of the new system.
According to him, the biometric verification process forms part of efforts to strengthen Ghana’s digital identity system, improve the integrity of SIM registration data and create a more secure environment for users of digital services.
“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 new process follows challenges encountered during the previous SIM registration exercise, which began in October 2021 and officially ended on May 31, 2023, after several deadline extensions.
The exercise initially required subscribers to link their SIM cards to their Ghana Cards before completing biometric registration at the customer care centres or authorised agents of their network operators.
The new biometric verification system is expected to require subscribers to provide biometric data, including fingerprints, to ensure that SIM cards are linked to verified identities and to make it more difficult for fraudulent identities to be used.
Further details on the implementation timeline and registration requirements are expected to be announced.
