NIA, NHIA to roll out registration for kids 6-14: What you need to know

Starting Monday, October 7, 2024, the National Identification Authority (NIA) and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) will begin registration exercise for children aged 6 to 14.
Out of 6.2 million children, the goal is to register at least three million kids during the first phase of the initiative over five months.
The second phase of the exercise which will be in perpetuity at NIA district offices across the nation after completion of the exercise in schools and designated locations will register the remaining 3.2 million children.
The Authority had previously registered Ghanaians over 15 years old and initiated registration for children aged zero to five, with the six to 14 age group being the final phase.
Dedicated registration centers will be set up in schools, children’s homes, and other facilities housing children including NIA offices.
Children not attending school could go to the nearest school in their community or an NIA office in the district to register.
This collaboration between NHIA and NIA highlights the government’s effort to streamline administrative processes and expand access to social services.
The Ghana Card is a crucial tool for identity authentication and access to public services.
By providing children with Ghana Cards at an early age, the initiative aims to enhance their access to essential healthcare services and facilitate their participation in socio-economic activities requiring official identification.
Parents and guardians are encouraged to actively participate in ensuring their children receive the Ghana Card, thereby securing their access to healthcare services and official identification.

NHIA using the NIA cards can save the state about half the cost of printing NHIS cards twice in ten years.

Stopping the printing of NHIS cards also saves the state from the double cost of printing both NHIS and Ghana Cards for the same individual.

Consequently, the NHIS has ceded part of its budget for card printing to the NIA to produce Ghana Cards for children.

A. Categorization
Ghanaian children in Ghana aged six (6) to fourteen (14) years – Children whose ages fall within this category will be provided with smart, dual-interface Ghana Cards, same as that provided to the population aged 15 years and above.

B. Exclusions

a. Ghanaians aged 0 to five (5) years old. Children who fall within this age cohort are to be issued only unique personal identification numbers when they are registered.

b. Ghanaians aged 15 years old and above.

C. Policy

1. Only named children shall be registered.

2. All first-time registration and issuance of smart Ghana Cards to Ghanaian children aged six (6) to 14 years in Ghana shall be free, except for registrations that take place at premium registration centres.

3. Ghana Cards issued to children aged six (6) to 14 years shall be valid for a period of 10 years.

4. The signature section of Ghana Cards of children aged six (6) to 14 years shall read “Minor”.

5. The photograph of the child to be registered shall be captured as part of the registration process.

6. Registration of the child shall be at either:

a. A school attended by the child; or

b. Any location designated by NIA as a Registration Centre; or

c. An NIA Regional or District Office or Premium Centre (start date yet to be determined).

7. Where at the point of registration it is established that the parent/relative/legal guardian/Social Welfare Officer who is to complete the child’s National ID Card Application Form (Application Form) is not a Ghanaian or is a Ghanaian but has not registered and been issued with a Ghana Card, the registration process for the child shall cease/not commence.

8. Where a Ghanaian child is presented by a non-Ghanaian parent/relative/legal guardian for registration, an application must first be made by the said non-Ghanaian parent/relative/legal guardian to the Executive Secretary of NIA for consideration. The child may only be presented for registration only after the application has been approved.

9. The persons permitted to complete a child’s Application Form are:

a. Biological parent of the child; or

b. Sibling of the child; or

c. Legal Guardian of the child; or

d. A relative of the child namely a grandparent, an uncle or an aunt; or

e. A Social Welfare Officer responsible for the child’ wellbeing.

10. The person who presents a child for registration and completes his or her Application Form must be:

a. A Ghanaian;

b. 18 years old or above;

c. of sound mind; and

d. a holder of a Ghana Card.

11. At the registration stage, the parent/relative/legal guardian/Social Welfare Officer shall be interviewed and assisted by a registration official to complete the Application Form for and on behalf of the child.

12. The parent/relative/legal guardian/Social Welfare Officer of the child to be registered shall be required to bring their Ghana Card to a Registration Centre.

13. The Application Form of a child to be registered shall be signed or marked or thumbprinted by the child’s parent/relative/legal guardian/Social Welfare Officer. The signature/mark shall be preceded by the word “For”.

14. No child being registered shall be permitted to sign or mark or thumbprint his or her Application Form.

15. The identity and Ghana Card PIN of the parent/relative/legal guardian/Social Welfare Officer who completed the child’s Application Form shall be linked to the child’s personal records stored in the National Identity Register (NIR) in perpetuity.

16. The parent/relative/legal guardian/Social Welfare Officer who presents a child for registration shall be named as the child’s next-of-kin on the child’s Application Form.

17. The full name, residential address/digital address, the relationship to the child and the telephone number of the parent/relative/legal guardian/Social Welfare Officer who completes the child’s Application Form shall be captured at the Next-of-Kin Section of the child’s Application Form.

18. Only the following persons are permitted to vouch for a child who does not possess a Birth Certificate or a valid passport:

a. The biological parent of a child;

b. The Legal Guardian of a child;

c. A relative of a child being the child’s uncle, aunt, grandparent or sibling

d. Where the child has no known relatives, two (2) Social Welfare Officers
Take note that all persons listed above must have registered for and been issued with a Ghana Card.

19. The telephone number(s) and email address of the parent or relative or legal guardian or Social Welfare Officer who completes the child’s Application Form on behalf of the child shall be captured at Section 14 of the child’s Application Form.

20. The Ghana Card PIN of every parent/relative/legal guardian/Social Welfare Officer who completes a child’s Application Form shall be clearly written underneath the signature of the said parent/relative/legal guardian/Social Welfare Officer by the Registration Officer.

21. The Registration Officer shall compare the signature on the parent/relative/legal guardian/Social Welfare Officer’s Ghana Card with that signed on the child’s Application Form.

22. The front and back of the Ghana Card of the parent/relative/legal guardian/Social Welfare Officer who completes the child’s Application Form shall be scanned into the National Identity Register as part of the child’s registration documents.

23. At a Registration Centre, the parent/relative/legal guardian/Social Welfare Officer of a child to be registered shall be required to provide personal information on the child to be registered which shall include the following information:

a. Surname

b. Forename(s)

c. Sex

d. Date of Birth

e. Place of Birth

f. Full name, nationality and hometown of the child’s mother whether alive or deceased

g. Full name, nationality and hometown of the child’s father whether alive or deceased

D. Registration Process for Ghanaian Children by Non-Ghanaian Parents/Relatives/Legal Guardians

In cases where a Ghanaian child is being presented for registration by a non-Ghanaian parent/ relative/legal guardian, the following procedure must be followed:

a. Application Submission: The non-Ghanaian parent/relative/legal guardian must submit an application to the Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA).
b. Application Review: The Executive Secretary of the NIA will review the application to ensure all required documentation and criteria are met.
c. Approval Notification: Upon approval of the application, the non-Ghanaian parent/ relative/legal guardian will be notified by the NIA.
d. Registration Appointment: The child can then be presented for registration at a designated NIA Office or Registration Centre.
e. Documentation Verification: At the registration appointment, all necessary documents, including the approval from the Executive Secretary, must be presented for verification.
f. Final Registration: Once all documents are verified, the child will be registered onto the National Identity Register.
This process ensures that all necessary legal and administrative checks are completed before a Ghanaian child is registered by a non-Ghanaian parent/relative/legal guardian, safeguarding the integrity of the registration system.
E. Registration Requirements – Primary Documents

a. The Birth Certificate of the child to be registered (no photocopies accepted)

b. The valid Passport of the child to be registered

c. The child’s Certificate of Acquired Citizenship

d. Where a child has no Birth Certificate or valid passport, the Oath of Identity Form of the parent/relative/legal guardian of the child

e. Where a child has no known relatives, the Oath of Identity Forms of two (2) Social Welfare Officers responsible for the child’s wellbeing.

F. Documentation to be completed and scanned during registration process

1. Child’s completed National ID Card Application Form (Form One) duly signed or marked or thumbprinted by the parent/relative/legal guardian/one of the Social Welfare Officers;

2. The Ghana Card of the parent/relative/legal guardian/Social Welfare Officer completing the child’s Application Form for and on behalf of a child;

3. Completed Oath of Identity Form(s) (form for vouching) where applicable;

4. Child or parent’s Certificate of Naturalisation where applicable; and

5. Proof of adoption (child’s adoption documents) where applicable.

G. Process Flow

a. Parent/Relative/Legal Guardian/Social Welfare Officers presents his or her Ghana Card(s) to Registration Officer and is interviewed.

b. In instances where the child does not have a Birth Certificate or valid passport, the Parent/Relative/Legal Guardian/Social Welfare officer(s) who presents the child is taken through the vouching process before they are interviewed.

c. Parent/Relative/Legal Guardian/Social Welfare Officer completes and signs child’s Application Form for and on behalf of the child in the presence of the Registration Officer.

d. Parent/Relative/Legal Guardian/Social Welfare Officer present themselves and child to be registered at Registration Centre.

e. The completed Application Form is presented to the Enrolment Officer for capture onto the National Identity Register (NIR).

f. The photograph, biometric and biographic data of the child are captured by the Enrolment Officer.

g. Parent/Relative/Legal Guardian/Social Welfare Officers’ Ghana Cards, Oath of Identity form(s) and other registration documents of the child are scanned by the Enrolment Officer.

h. Parent/Relative/Legal Guardian/Social Welfare Officer is issued a receipt to confirm the captured information.

i. Parent/Relative/Legal Guardian/Social Welfare Officer signs the printed receipt to confirm the child’s personal information.

j. The printed receipt is scanned onto the National Identity Register (NIR).

k. Personal information of the child is submitted electronically by the Enrolment Officer to end the registration process.
l. The Ghana Card of the child is printed, issued biometrically to the child and the physical card is handed over to the Parent/Relative/Legal Guardian/Social Welfare Officer.

H. Policy on Replacement and Update requests for ages 6 – 14 years

a. For all children who require a replacement of a missing or damaged card or an update of personal information, the child’s parent/relative/legal guardian/Social Welfare Officer who completed the child’s Application Form shall complete and sign the Update or Replacement Request Form.

b. The authorizing NIA officer will indicate that the signature on the Request Form is not that of the child. All other processes remain the same as those required for updating the records of Ghanaians aged 15 years and above.

c. Where the child’s parent/relative/legal guardian/Social Welfare Officer is deceased at the time of the update/replacement request, another parent/relative/legal guardian/Social Welfare Officer of the child can make the request but will have to provide evidence of death of the said parent/relative/legal guardian/Social Welfare Officer.

I. Transition Process for Ghana Card Update upon attaining Age 15

When a child holding a Ghana Card marked “minor” reaches the age of 15, they may request an
update to receive a new Ghana Card with their signature. The process is as follows:

a. Request for Update: Upon reaching 15 years of age, the cardholder or their parent/ relative/legal guardian/Social Welfare Officer may initiate a request for an updated Ghana Card.
b. Application Submission: The request must be submitted to the NIA along with the necessary supporting documents.
c. Card Retrieval: The NIA will retrieve the existing Ghana Card marked “minor” from the parent/relative/legal guardian/Social Welfare Officer as part of the update process.
d. Verification and Processing: The NIA will verify the submitted documents and the cardholder’s eligibility for the update.
e. Issuance of New Card: Upon successful verification, a new Ghana Card bearing the cardholder’s signature will be printed and issued.
f. Fee Payment: The update service will attract a statutory fee, payable at the time of the request.
g. Collection of New Card: The cardholder, or their authorized representative, will collect the new card from the designated NIA Registration Office or Registration Centre.

J. Date of Implementation
This policy takes effect upon the commencement of registration of children aged six (6) to 14 years onto the National Identity Register.