The government is preparing to introduce biometric verification into Ghana’s SIM registration regime before the end of 2026, Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations Minister Samuel Nartey George has announced, in a move intended to strengthen subscriber identification and improve the reliability of telecommunications data.
Mr George disclosed the development on Monday, September 7, 2026, while addressing the Government Accountability Series at the Jubilee House in Accra. He said Parliament had passed the Legislative Instrument governing SIM registration, thereby clearing the legal path for the next phase of the exercise.
The Minister explained that the forthcoming system would require subscribers to provide biometric information, including fingerprints, as an additional means of authenticating their identities. The measure is expected to make it considerably more difficult for individuals to register SIM cards with false, stolen or otherwise fraudulent identities, while improving the ability of authorities to trace subscribers when telecommunications services are abused.
Mr George said the initiative forms part of a wider governmental effort to reinforce Ghana’s digital identity architecture and establish a more dependable telecommunications environment. He stressed that the regulatory framework must evolve alongside technological developments and emerging threats within the digital ecosystem.
“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 impending biometric verification requirement follows persistent shortcomings associated with the previous SIM registration exercise, which commenced on October 1, 2021. Under that arrangement, subscribers were initially required to connect their SIM cards to their Ghana Cards before completing biometric registration at customer service centres or authorised outlets operated by telecommunications providers.
By October 2022, approximately 28.96 million SIM cards, equivalent to 67.28 percent of the total number issued at the time, had been linked to Ghana Cards. However, only about 18.93 million SIM cards, representing 44.28 percent, had completed the entire registration procedure. Consequently, almost 10 million subscribers who had completed the initial stage had failed to undertake the subsequent biometric component.
The previous exercise eventually concluded on May 31, 2023, after several extensions to the original deadlines. Despite the prolonged registration period, millions of SIM cards remained incompletely registered, prompting telecommunications companies to deactivate numbers that failed to satisfy the prescribed requirements. At the conclusion of the exercise, approximately 5.4 million unregistered SIM cards belonging to MTN Ghana subscribers were blocked.
The Ministry and the National Communications Authority have subsequently recognised that the earlier arrangement did not completely accomplish its intended objectives, particularly in relation to combating telecommunications related fraud and restoring confidence in the integrity of subscriber information. The new biometric framework is consequently being positioned as a corrective measure designed to close some of the weaknesses identified in the earlier system.
The renewed approach had already been under development before the latest announcement. In March 2026, the National Communications Authority engaged stakeholders over draft regulations governing the new SIM registration framework. The consultations considered several important issues, including requirements applicable to Ghanaian residents and foreign nationals, the permissible number of SIM cards associated with a single identification document, registration arrangements for minors and diplomats, as well as the financial and operational implications of the exercise.
The government has also previously indicated that the revamped system would incorporate real time biometric verification and stronger audit mechanisms. In a March 2026 briefing to Parliament, Mr George said the upgraded arrangement was intended to be secure and accessible, while the National Communications Authority stressed that the necessary legal and technical structures would be completed before implementation.
Unlike the earlier exercise, the new framework is expected to place greater emphasis on establishing an authenticated connection between a subscriber’s biometric identity and the SIM card being registered. This is particularly significant because mobile numbers are increasingly connected to mobile money accounts, banking services, digital platforms and other sensitive transactions, making the integrity of subscriber identification an important component of Ghana’s broader digital security architecture.
The National Communications Authority has also indicated that consumer convenience will remain an important consideration in the implementation of the revised system. The Authority has said that extensive consultations will precede implementation and that the process will be designed to provide subscribers with a secure and user friendly registration experience.
With Parliament having approved the Legislative Instrument, the Ministry is now expected to collaborate with the National Communications Authority, the National Identification Authority and telecommunications operators to operationalise the biometric verification framework before the close of 2026. The precise timetable for subscribers, together with the detailed procedures and any consequences for failure to comply, is expected to be communicated as the implementation arrangements are finalised.
The latest development therefore represents another attempt by the government to establish a more accurate and verifiable national SIM database, while simultaneously strengthening safeguards around Ghana’s rapidly expanding digital economy. The success of the exercise, however, will ultimately depend on effective implementation, reliable biometric matching, protection of personal information and an accessible process that enables subscribers to complete verification without unnecessary difficulty.
