President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reiterated the need to integrate the National Identification Card, the Ghana Card, into all facets of the lives of Ghanaians.

He also indicated that having a national identification card will ensure the sanctity of the records of every person born in Ghana.

Delivering the State of the Nation Address in Parliament on Wednesday, 30 March 2022, President Akufo-Addo said: “I’m happy to report that the National Identification Card the Ghana card have finally been integrated into our everyday lives as a cradle-to-grave necessity”.

“Never again will it be that someone born in this country will live a full life, die and be buried without any record of his or her existence.”

He also noted that the digitisation of the country’s Birth and Death Registry and the national ID will curb the era of persons having varying ages for different purposes.

“The operations of the Birth and Death Registry are finally being digitised to make sure the documents issued from that department are accorded the respect they should have. Every child born in this country will be registered and the date of birth registered will remain your date of birth throughout your life”, he said. 

“Mr Speaker, there’ll be no school age, no football age, no SSNIT age, and no official age”, he warned.

“When we register for National Health Insurance, the details of our identification will be the same as the details on the driving licence, the passport and yes, on our tax identification number. Today, we all have addresses at which we can be identified, even if we live unfortunately for the time being in a kiosk and when we die that inevitable passage will be recorded to mark the end of our life.”

He added: “It is critical that every citizen is able to benefit from the digitisation process”.

“The benefits range from being able to give directions to our addresses for deliveries and being able to gain access to government services without having to go to the ministries.”