Ghana Card: A Right Or A Privilege?

On my way to one of the NIA Premium Centres one sunny afternoon to replace my lost Ghana Card, I encountered a woman with three children—one strapped to her back and two by her side. She wore a worried face, with a pleading gaze as she stared at me while I approached the Premium Office in Accra, precisely near CalBank. I knew she was going to ask me for money and was already preparing a response, but her request caught me off guard.

She needed GH₵40 to add to her own money so she could go to the District Office, where she would be expected to pay GH₵125 to replace her missing Ghana Card. She explained that she lost it when her handbag was stolen in a robbery. She further explained that she had come to the Premium Centre, not knowing she would be asked to pay GH₵410, which she could not afford, so she had been directed to the District Office, where she would have to pay GH₵125 but should be prepared to wait a longer time. She needed the Ghana Card to set up a mobile money business and needed the card desperately. Although she was Ghanaian and her parents were Ghanaians, she found herself in a difficult situation because she could not afford the GH₵410 or GH₵125 for an official identity card.

That was when I decided to do a little math. In a country where the minimum wage is GH₵18.15, which is approximately GH₵490.05 a month, why do we peg such a crucial national identity card, which all—rich or poor—must have, at a hefty price? Interestingly, the cost to replace a lost Voter ID card is only GH₵10. The Voter ID serves the sole purpose of electing leaders, some of whom do not even care about the people. To make it accessible for all and not disenfranchise anyone, it has been made very affordable for all. The same goes for the NHIS card. As of 2024, the cost of replacing a lost or damaged National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) card in Ghana is only GH₵8.00, which is very reasonable because everyone needs access to healthcare, rich or poor. So why is the Ghana Card, which is equally crucial because without it one cannot access essential services and benefits, priced so high?

Whether we like it or not, the Ghana Card has become a crucial ID for Ghanaians since its introduction in 2018. Without a Ghana Card, one cannot undertake banking transactions, acquire a passport, get a driver’s license, register a SIM card, or properly verify their identity.

One may argue that we need to be careful not to lose it, but is it always possible? How do you prevent getting robbed, fire outbreaks or experiencing other events that can lead to loss?

The high replacement cost for the Ghana Card is unfair to poor Ghanaians. In effect, we are denying these people their official ID until they have the money to pay.

It is understandable to increase the price of passports or, if we wish, Voter IDs, but the current hefty price for replacing an official identity card needs to be reconsidered, as this means denying someone their right to an official identity card because they do not have the money. The National Identification Authority (NIA) should make the Ghana Card replacement either free or very affordable, just like the Voter ID or NHIS cards. This would ensure that everyone has access to this crucial national ID.

Article by:
Silas Obeng