A directive from the National Communications Authority (NCA) requires the deactivation and removal of all SIM cards that are both registered and active today, May 31.
Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the Minister of Communications, made the announcement that the re-registration of all mobile SIM cards would begin on October 1, 2021. The process was originally scheduled to take six months, but it was extended multiple times due to real problems that SIM card users had.
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice President, had previously stated that the re-registration process was intended to monitor and locate individuals who use their phones for criminal purposes and eliminate fraud from the country’s cyberspace.
The VP’s remarks were supported by the Controller General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo-Dampare who said the re-enlistment practice by the public authority had helped the Assistance in its tasks to cinch down on cybercrime in the nation when he showed up before the Public Records Board of trustees on January 20, 2023.
On February 14, 2023, the government announced that as of February 9, 2023, 25,150,522 SIM cards had been successfully registered in Ghana and urged the general public to adhere to the registration deadlines.
All unregistered SIM cards were set for erasure on April 17, 2023, yet the choice was revoked after a few conferences.
However, a day before the final deadline, hundreds of Ghanaians rushed to the headquarters of the National Identification Authority in Accra in an emergency effort to obtain a Ghana Card, which is required for the re-registration process and allows them to register their SIM cards to avoid deactivation.
