Vice President of the Republic Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has hailed the launch of the Registration of Ghana Card Number at birth as a transformative milestone.
Speaking at the launch event held in Accra on 14th March, 2024, Dr. Bawumia underscored the profound impact this initiative would have on both individuals and national development stakeholders.
“It is ensuring that every child in Ghana is immediately provided with a unique identity linking them to their mother’s identity and securing their place within the national identity system. The monumental integration is not just about issuing the Ghana Card, it is also about affirming the right existence of our youngest citizens and laying the foundation for their future ensuring they have access to health, education and social services without unnecessary barriers. This would support economic growth and poverty reduction.”
He also emphasized that this integration not only entails issuing the Ghana Card but also affirming the fundamental existence of Ghana’s youngest citizens and laying a foundation for their future.
“When the child is registered from the time of his weighing-in, the child gets two identities; the national identification number and the birth certificate at the same time.”
He further announced plans to begin registering schoolchildren aged 5 to 15, in collaboration with key stakeholders including the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), National Identification Authority (NIA), and the Ghana Education Service (GES).
“We are not only aiming to cover the current gap but we are also looking forward to register schoolchildren between the ages of 5 and 15 with ongoing discussions with the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), National Identification Association (NIA) and the Ghana Education System (GES)”
The event witnessed the presence of distinguished dignitaries, including Health Minister-designate Benard Okoe-Boye, Minister for Works and Housing-designate Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Minister for Information-designate Fatimatu Abubakar, Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, and Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA) Prof. Ken Attafuah, among other notable personalities.
With the launch of birth registration for the national identity system, Ghana takes a significant stride toward ensuring inclusivity, accessibility, and empowerment for its citizens through recognising their identities, especially the youngest members of society.
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Story by : Fauzia Salim | univers.ug.edu.gh
