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According to Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, all is set for the historic issuance of National Identification numbers, also known as Ghana Card numbers, to newborn babies in Ghana.
This comes after the databases of the Ghana Health Service, the National Identification Authority, and the Births and Deaths Registry were successfully integrated.
The first such Ghana Card number was assigned to a newborn baby on Friday, July 21, 2023 following a successful test run of the system, according to the Vice President, who made the announcement on Saturday, July 22, 2023.
“The work of integrating the databases has been completed, The full test was done yesterday, and i am happy to say that the first Ghana Card number for a baby was issued yesterday.
“So from next month, all babies born in Ghana, once they take them to Weigh In, they will be issued the Ghana Card number and also get their Birth Certificate Identification number at the same time, because the two databases are talking to each other.”
“This is very transformational,” Dr Bawumia noted, explaining that they will have these numbers from the time they are babies till they pass away.
Cards containing the biometrics and other information will be given to the kids when they are older, once their digits and other traits are completely developed, according to representatives of the National Identification Authority (NIA).
Dr. Bawumia stressed that the issuance of ID numbers at birth was a crucial component of the government’s ongoing digitalization agenda, which was created to get the country ready to fully participate in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, while speaking in Cape Coast at the 75th Anniversary celebrations of Ghana National College.
With its unique number acting as the Social Security, Health Insurance, and Tax Identification numbers, the Ghana Card is increasingly used as the sole form of identification.
Ghana National College
Hailing the impact Ghana National College has had on Ghana’s pre-and post colonial life, Vice President Bawumia challenged managements, staff and students in educational institutions to embrace the possibilities offered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve teaching, problem solving and critical thinking, noting that it could be deployed meaningfully to bridge the gap between the developed and developing world.
“If we are in agreement that the boys and girls in our schools today are being trained to compete on the global stage, there is every justification for our students to be given exposure to AI.
“Government’s ongoing digitalization agenda is ample testimony of its appreciation of AI and the commitment to ensure that this country is not left behind. We have focused on pursuing digitalisation as part of our economic strategy because the Fourth Industrial Revolution is upon us and we must be part of the modern world…
“Whilst Government will do its part by leading the charting of a pathway to the deployment of meaningful AI in our national life, I expect our educational authorities to devise and deploy innovative teaching strategies that factor in ICT as a key ingredient,” he added.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
