Accra, Ghana — The National Identification Authority (NIA) has released new guidelines to regulate the security, storage, and retention of personal information obtained from the National Identity Register (NIR), effective Thursday, 19th March 2026.
The guidelines are issued under Sections 59 and 61 of the National Identity Register Act, 2008 (Act 750), as amended by the National Identity Register (Amendment) Act, 2017 (Act 950). They provide direction to user agencies on the proper handling of personal information, including storage, retention, and disposal, while prescribing retention periods for administrative purposes.
The NIA highlighted several key objectives of the guidelines:
Secure Storage: Personal information must be stored safely and retained only as long as necessary.
Responsible Management: Agencies are expected to manage personal data responsibly and professionally.
Risk Minimization: The rules aim to reduce the risk of unauthorized access, misuse, or data loss.
Legal Compliance: Agencies must comply with Ghanaian law and align with international standards on data protection and information security.
These measures are part of Ghana’s ongoing efforts to strengthen data protection and information security, ensuring that citizens’ personal information is handled with the utmost care.
