The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, Sylvia Owusu-Ankomah, has called for a comprehensive overhaul of Ghana’s SIM registration system, insisting that stronger biometric integration and legal reforms are necessary to ensure long-term efficiency and avoid repeated nationwide exercises.
Speaking on Monday, 18 May, at the launch of the NCA’s 30th anniversary, she described the telecommunications sector as essential national infrastructure that must be protected and modernised.
“Telecom is now a critical national infrastructure and it behoves on us to protect it,” she said.
Owusu-Ankomah noted that Ghana is preparing for its third SIM registration exercise, adding that lessons from previous implementations show the need for improved systems that eliminate the need for repeated nationwide re-registration in the future.
“We have learnt a lot of lessons from previous exercises,” she said. “At such a time as this, the technology exists for us to improve on the processes.”
She disclosed that industry stakeholders are working closely with the NCA and the Ministry to ensure a smoother and more efficient rollout. “What we are telling the NCA and the Ministry is we are working collaboratively with them so that this registration will be seamless and devoid of challenges,” she stated.
A key focus, she said, is reviewing the legal framework governing SIM registration and strengthening connectivity between systems. She explained that although mobile network operators currently hold subscriber data linked to national identity numbers, gaps remain in biometric verification.
“What we seek to improve on is the NIA connectivity to make sure every number is biometrically matched,” she said, adding that audits show inconsistencies in previous registrations.
She stressed that the goal is not to repeat past processes but to modernise them.
“We need to ensure this [upcoming SIM registration] exercise will serve the long term and, if anything at all, it will simply be an update of our systems without the need for another exercise.”
