Ghana made it compulsory from October 2021 to link existing SIM cards to the Ghana Card. The second stage required an in-person biometric capture, and by January 2022 long queues and congestion at mobile-network customer centres had become a public problem. The National Communications Authority responded with temporary points at churches, mosques, lorry parks and post offices, plus daily quotas and ticketing.
This was not a line only for people seeking new service. Those who missed the deadline risked losing numbers they already used. A policy designed to strengthen digital identity ultimately depended on face-to-face biometrics and a physical order of service.