Prof Ken Attafuah – NIA Boss
The 16 regional offices of the National Identification Authority (NIA) will be opened to the public from today to give people from across the country and beyond the chance to update their personal information.
The data update provisions include change or correction of personal data as well as card replacement services across its regional and operational district offices.
In a statement released on August 5, 2022 and signed by Dr. Abudu Abdul-Ganiyu, Ag. Head of Corporate Affairs, the NIA said the Ghana Card Replacement Service would also take place at all its 275 operational district offices, starting from Monday, August 8, 2022.
The statement noted that the update of Personal Information Service will be decentralised to the 275 Operational District Offices of NIA on September 12, 2022.
It said Continuous Registration Services, which are already taking place at the regional and district offices, will run alongside the services of the personal data update and card replacement.
NIA pointed out that the card replacement service, which is currently being offered at its 16 regional offices, would cease from Monday, August 8, 2022.
According to the statement, applicants requesting the update of personal information service must observe they would need to complete and sign an electronic “Update Request Form at the Regional Office.”
“Any update, which changes the information printed on the face of the Ghana Card already issued to an applicant, will attract a fee of GH¢30.00,” it added.
It stated that the list of updates that attract a fee of GH¢30.00 includes change or correction of applicant’s name; change or correction of the order of applicant’s name; and correction or addition of applicant’s previous name or maiden name.
Others are the correction of applicant’s date of birth; change or correction of the nationality of applicant; correction of applicant’s gender; and change or correction of applicant’s height.
The Authority said, “All other updates, which do not result in the printing of a new Ghana Card for an applicant, are free of charge.”
The NIA mentioned the free updates list as change or correction of residential address; change or correction of digital address code; change or addition of postal address; correction of hometown details; and correction of place of birth details.
Others are the addition or change of telephone numbers and/or email address; change of marital status; addition or change of government IDs e.g. Voter ID Card, SSNIT Card, NHIS Card; change of disability status; and change or addition of details of spouse.
The rest are change of next-of-kin details; correction of details of parents; change of level of education; change of occupation; as well as change or correction of colour of hair and/or eyes.
“The Gh¢30.00 fee for all fee-paying update services must be made with either the CalBank Mobile Banking Platform with short code *771#; or CalBank Online Mobile App, or at a CalBank Branch Office,” the statement noted.
It said NIA would not accept cash payments for the update service at any of its regional offices, and that all applicants for the update service will be required to provide the reason for the update and must support the request with evidence.
It noted further that correction of name/correction of spelling or order of name – birth certificate or passport used during registration for the Ghana Card that shows the correct name of the applicant.
“Change of Name Gazette Notification confirming applicant’s Name Change (affidavits will not be accepted). Correction of Date of Birth – A Birth Certificate or Ghana Passport used by the applicant during registration for his/her Ghana Card.
“NIA will not change an applicant’s date of birth but will only correct the date of birth if it was wrongly captured during registration for the Ghana Card,” the statement further noted.
By Ernest Kofi Adu