The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, has emphasized the importance of digital identification in promoting economic empowerment, regional integration, and inclusive development in West Africa. Speaking at the opening of the ECOWAS Validation Workshop on Stakeholders’ Engagement and Foundational ID Systems Interoperability Strategies in Accra, Alhaji Muntaka highlighted Ghana’s progress in digital identification.
He noted that over 17 million Ghanaians have been enrolled in the National Identification System, with the Ghana Card integrated with major national systems, including the Social Security and National Insurance Trust, the Ghana Revenue Authority, and the National Health Insurance Scheme. The Minister stressed that interoperable ID systems are essential for delivering on the promises of the African Continental Free Trade Area and the ECOWAS Protocol of Free Movement of Persons.
Alhaji Muntaka emphasized the need for strengthening legal and regulatory frameworks, data privacy and security, and stakeholder engagement, including citizens, the private sector, and civil society, in the design and implementation of ID systems. The workshop aims to validate key strategies for interoperability across participating countries under the West Africa Unique Identification for Regional Integration and Inclusion (WURI) programme.
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