Accra, May 14, GNA -Ghana’s national identification system has been described as one of the most advanced and fully integrated digital identity ecosystems globally, Mr. Moses Kwesi Baiden Jnr., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Margins ID Group, has said.
According to him, the country has progressed beyond merely issuing identity cards to building a secure digital public infrastructure that supports multiple sectors of national life.
Mr. Baiden made the remarks during a keynote presentation at the 2026 ID4Africa Annual General Meeting in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on the theme: “Achieving Interoperability: Linking the Ghana Card Across National Identity Systems and Platforms.”
He explained that Ghana’s identity ecosystem was deliberately designed to ensure interoperability across institutions, sectors, and public services.
“Most countries stop at the card. Ghana designed interoperability as the objective from day one,” he said.
Mr. Baiden noted that Ghana now ranked among a select group of countries with deeply integrated identity systems, comparable to digitally advanced nations such as Estonia, India, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates.
He observed that although more than 170 countries operated national identity programmes, only a few had succeeded in creating secure and trusted identity infrastructures capable of seamless integration across critical sectors such as banking, healthcare, telecommunications, taxation, transport, and social protection.
Mr. Baiden disclosed that approximately 19.4 million citizens had been enrolled onto the Ghana Card system, representing over 92 per cent coverage of the adult population.
In addition, more than 262 institutions, spanning banking, telecommunications, healthcare, taxation, transport regulation, and social services, had been integrated into the platform.
This, he said, had transformed the Ghana Card from a physical identification document into a foundational digital infrastructure supporting identity verification and service delivery nationwide.
“Every citizen now has a digital version of themselves through which they interact with the world,” he stated.
Observers say the level of integration achieved mirrors trends in advanced digital economies, where national identity systems serve as gateways to financial services, healthcare, public administration, and secure online transactions.
Mr. Baiden indicated that within the financial sector, the Ghana Card had become central to Know Your Customer (KYC) processes, enabling faster onboarding, improved verification standards, and reduced identity-related fraud.
The platform, he said, was also integrated with key institutions such as the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).
Analysts believe the increasing integration is enhancing efficiency, transparency, and accountability in service delivery, while strengthening data integrity across institutions.
Mr. Baiden stressed that interoperability must be supported by robust legal frameworks, cybersecurity safeguards, institutional coordination, and public trust.
“A trusted identity begins with a legal identity,” he said, cautioning that weak governance structures could expose systems to cyber risks.
“Interoperability without trust is simply risk exposure,” he added.
He explained that the Ghana Card ecosystem operated under a public-private partnership between the National Identification Authority (NIA) and Margins ID Group through its subsidiary, Identity Management Systems II.
Under the arrangement, the NIA provides governance oversight, regulation, and data protection, while Margins ID Group is responsible for the design, financing, integration, and operation of the technical infrastructure.
Mr. Baiden said Africa had the opportunity to bypass outdated legacy systems and build modern identity infrastructures suited to current digital realities.
“In Africa, we can leapfrog many of the legacy systems and design identity ecosystems fit for today’s digital realities,” he stated.
He said this reflected growing optimism among African technology leaders about the continent’s potential to lead in next-generation digital public infrastructure.
Margins ID Group also showcased its biometric technologies, secure manufacturing capabilities, and identity solutions at the conference, which attracted delegates from governments, technology firms, and development institutions from more than 100 countries.
Observers at ID4Africa 2026 described Ghana’s identity model as a strong example of African-designed, financed, and operated digital infrastructure functioning successfully at a national scale.
They noted that Ghana’s progress signalled a shift from the continent’s traditional role as a consumer of foreign technologies to an emerging leader in designing and implementing complex digital systems.
Analysts say the Ghana Card initiative could become one of Ghana’s most significant digital transformation achievements, with far-reaching implications beyond identity management.
They believe that as global investment in digital economies grows, Ghana is positioning itself not merely as a participant but as an emerging leader in interoperable digital identity systems.
For many participants at the conference, Ghana’s message was clear: the country is no longer just running a national ID programme but building one of the world’s most advanced and trusted digital identity ecosystems.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Odeng Adade