In a press release issued on November 9, the Authority cited the need for “stronger safeguards” following an internal review of the date-of-birth update process. The NIA stated that this review revealed vulnerabilities in the current verification mechanisms, prompting an immediate freeze to prevent potential irregularities. Williams Ampomah Emmanuel Darlas, the Head of Corporate Affairs at the NIA, signed the official notice, which emphasized that the move is designed to ensure the integrity of the national identity register.
The suspension is comprehensive in scope. According to the directive, no new date-of-birth update requests will be accepted or processed at any of the NIA’s 276 district offices, regional offices, or premium centres. Furthermore, applications that were already submitted and undergoing processing before the November 9 deadline will not be approved during this period. For applicants caught mid-correction, this means their existing Ghana Cards will retain the previously recorded dates of birth, and no amended cards can be authorised or printed until the review concludes.
The NIA is now engaging with key institutional stakeholders to overhaul the guidelines governing these corrections. The Authority is in consultations with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the Births and Deaths Registry (BDR), among other relevant institutions. The stated objective of these engagements is to establish a “transparent, credible, and standardised system” for handling requests for age corrections. The NIA did not provide a specific timeline for the completion of these consultations, nor did it specify how supporting documents or related payments already lodged with the Authority will be handled during the interim period.
This administrative freeze carries significant implications for citizens, given the central role of the Ghana Card in the country’s digital and financial infrastructure. Date-of-birth records on the Ghana Card underpin official identity checks across banking, pensions, passport issuance, and public service employment. The stakes of accurate identity verification have risen sharply since July 2026, when biometric Ghana Card verification became mandatory for various transactions. Any disruption in the ability to correct erroneous data can therefore have cascading effects on an individual’s access to financial services and government programs.
Under the parliamentary-approved Ghana Card fee schedule that took effect in February 2026, general personal record updates are provided free of charge, while card replacements attract a fee of GH¢200. While the NIA has not issued specific guidance on refunds or the status of payments made for in-progress corrections, the Authority apologized for the inconvenience caused by the suspension and appealed to the public for understanding and cooperation.
The decision to tighten controls on age corrections follows a recent series of internal enforcement actions by the NIA aimed at protecting the national identity register. In October 2026, the Authority reported the arrest of six staff members and the dismissal of seven others over alleged registration malpractices. These actions suggest a broader institutional drive to eliminate fraudulent or irregular entries in the national database, with the date-of-birth suspension serving as a preventive measure while new verification protocols are developed.
The NIA has stated it will inform the public once consultations with WAEC and the BDR are completed and the revised guidelines are ready. Until that time, the national identity system will operate under the existing records, with no changes to dates of birth permitted.
