Over 200,000 Volta children miss NIA registration deadline

More than 200,000 eligible children in Ghana's Volta Region have not been registered by the National Identification Authority (NIA). This comes after a recent three-week mass registration exercise for children aged six to 14. The Interior Minister, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, revealed this information during a visit to the region.

The NIA had set a target of registering over 300,000 children in the Volta Region. However, the exercise managed to capture just over 108,000 children. This means a significant gap of 200,000 remains, leaving many children without official identification. This shortfall affects children in all districts across the Volta Region.

This situation highlights a challenge in Ghana's ongoing efforts to build a comprehensive national identification system. The Ghana Card, the national identification document, aims to streamline access to public services. Previously, the NIA has faced challenges in reaching its registration targets across various groups. The government emphasizes the importance of early registration for planning and service delivery.

Minister Mohammed-Mubarak stated, “We have been able to register a little over 108,000 children. This means that more than 200,000 eligible children are yet to be captured.” He added that the government is dedicated to registering all children in the target age group. The NIA's nationwide rollout aims to expand the country’s database and improve national planning.

The government plans to conduct a thorough mop-up exercise to capture the unregistered children. Another timetable will be developed for a potential three-week return to the Volta Region. This will ensure that nearly all eligible children are included in the national identification database. Accurate identification is crucial for children's future access to services like employment and national security recruitment.