'Unusual traffic' forces shutdown of NIA's online registration portal

The National Identification Authority (NIA) has said its online portal https://register.nia.gov.gh is temporarily unavailable for public use for the ongoing Ghana card registration.

According to the NIA, the online portal was meant to be launched formally when all the operational and technical components were ready, however, it was observed that after the Executive Secretary mentioned the existence of an online portal in an interview on an Accra-based radio station, interest in its usage was aroused.

“Since then, the site has seen unusual traffic occasioning its temporary shutdown,” a statement from the NIA said.

The NIA noted that it is working assiduously to restore the service, adding that any applicant who fills the registration form online will still go through the interview process at the registration centre.

The NIA said before a Ghana Card is issued, an applicant must go through the following steps:

a. A registration official interviews the applicant and assists him/her to fill an application form with the required personal details. An applicant who fills the form online will only be interviewed.

b. An MRW operator then keys in personal details of the applicant from the completed application form and scans any other additional documents (other institutional ID’s – SSNIT, DVLA, Voter ID etc.) that the applicant may have.

c. The MRW operator also captures the applicant’s biometric data (fingerprint, iris & photograph) as well as his/her signature.

d. A printed slip specifying the information captured is given to the applicant to confirm that the information captured is accurate before the card can be printed.

e. The card is printed, after which the applicant is required to authenticate his/her fingerprints with a verification officer to render the card activated.

Meanwhile, the NIA has dissociated itself from the link http://bit.ly/RegisterGhanaCardOnline purporting to inform the general public on “steps to get your card at the office instantly.”