The NIA commenced the registration exercise on May 5, 2026, targeting children between the ages of six and 14 years in schools throughout the region.

Speaking at a press conference in Ho, the Dean of the MDCEs in the Volta Region and District Chief Executive for Adaklu, Mr. Jerry Yao Ameko, said many eligible children were yet to be registered despite the importance of the exercise.

He explained that several operational challenges hindered the Authority’s ability to achieve full coverage before the scheduled closing date.

“Several operational challenges encountered during the exercise made it impossible for every eligible child to be registered,” he stated.

Mr. Ameko identified some of the challenges as poor network connectivity, technical difficulties, and unfavourable weather conditions.

According to him, the 21-day period allocated for the exercise was inadequate considering the large number of schools and children expected to be covered.

He disclosed that in some districts, registration teams were unable to visit a significant number of schools.

“For instance, in the Adaklu District, out of 48 schools, less than 40 were covered. This means several children have still not been captured,” he noted.

Mr. Ameko added that the situation was even more concerning in districts and municipalities with larger school populations, where many communities were yet to benefit from the exercise.

He stressed that children in those communities would be unfairly disadvantaged if the registration exercise ended without giving them the opportunity to register.

According to him, the exercise is of national importance and every eligible child must be given the chance to obtain a Ghana Card.

“We will be doing a great injustice to our children if the exercise ends without registering them,” he lamented.

Also speaking at the press conference, the District Chief Executive for Central Tongu, Mr. Innocent Dodzi Mornyuie, explained that many school children reside in remote communities far from district capitals, making access to registration centres difficult.

He therefore reiterated the call for an extension of the exercise to ensure that all eligible children are captured.

Mr. Mornyuie further urged the NIA to deploy mobile registration vans to hard-to-reach communities to improve accessibility and ensure no child is left out of the exercise.