Accra: The National Communications Authority (NCA) has revealed that an audit of SIM card registrations from 2021 to 2023 found no fingerprint matches when compared with the national identity database, casting doubts on the credibility of existing subscriber data. This audit is part of the preparations for a nationwide SIM card re-registration effort aimed at improving data accuracy and enhancing security measures.
According to Ghana Web, the audit is a component of the government's broader strategy to improve SIM subscription management following a mass registration drive intended to link every SIM card to a verified identity. The Director-General of the NCA, Edmund Yirenkyi Fianko, shared these findings during a stakeholder meeting on Tuesday, March 17, 2026.
Fianko explained that in June 2025, a sample of around 2 million registrations was tested against the National Identification Authority (NIA) database. Some SIM records could not be verified, and notably, there was zero fingerprint match due to the difference in biometric capture methods-contact methods for NIA fingerprints versus contactless methods for mobile registrations.
The audit also uncovered other irregularities, such as incorrect identity information and unconfirmed biometrics, along with data inconsistencies across systems. Although facial recognition showed better results, with 81.1% of 2.3 million registrations matching, gaps remain due to the absence of liveness checks.
Despite nearly 40 million SIM cards being registered nationwide, the NCA's upcoming re-registration exercise aims to rectify these issues by enhancing verification systems and better aligning SIM registration with the NIA database.