The Mahama administration, has announced a new nationwide SIM card re-registration initiative aimed at addressing previous challenges faced in the earlier registration process.
This comes after a series of setbacks during the Akufo-Addo administration’s attempt to implement the exercise in 2021, which has been described by many as botched and unsuccessful.
Minister of Communications and Digital Technology, Samuel Nartey George, made the announcement on Wednesday April 9, 2025, during a press briefing in Accra.
He outlined the government’s renewed commitment to ensuring that the new re-registration process is seamless, efficient, and rooted in both human-centered and technology-driven solutions.
“This is a human-centered, technology-driven exercise,” George said. “It will happen so seamlessly and without stress that most Ghanaians will ask themselves why they were saddled with eight years of misrule and mismanagement,” he added.
The Minister emphasized that the upcoming registration would improve upon the failings of the previous administration’s approach, promising a much more organized and effective rollout.
The 2021 SIM card registration initiative, launched under the administration of President Akufo-Addo, faced considerable challenges.
The process required all mobile phone users in Ghana to re-register their SIM cards using the Ghana Card, the country’s national identity card.
However, low participation rates, widespread fraud concerns, and a lack of adequate infrastructure led to multiple deadline extensions and calls for better management.
Despite the government’s efforts, millions of active SIM cards remained unregistered.
This left many Ghanaians questioning the effectiveness of the exercise and expressing concerns about their data security.
The issues with the registration exercise prompted public outcry, with critics accusing the administration of failing to meet key performance indicators (KPIs).
These issues were compounded by reports of fraud through mobile applications used for registration, heightening fears about potential misuse of citizens’ personal information.
Sam George acknowledged the shortcomings of the previous initiative and criticized the handling of the project under the Akufo-Addo government.
“The previous administration’s SIM re-registration exercise was a disaster,” he stated.
