Who Introduced Ghana's Chip-Embedded Passport? NPP or NDC?

On May 7, 2025, Member of Parliament for Bosome Freho, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, stated in an interview with UTV that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was the first to introduce Ghana’s chip-embedded passport—not the National Democratic Congress (NDC). His comment triggered strong reactions from both political camps and reignited a public debate on the origin of this advanced travel document.

With fact-checking and historical documentation, we set the record straight.

Claim

"The NPP was the first to introduce Ghana’s chip-embedded passport, not the NDC."

Verdict: Misleading

Timeline and Analysis

2016 – NDC Administration: The Foundation

In 2016, then-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hanna Tetteh, announced plans to transition Ghana from biometric passports to chip-embedded passports. During a meeting in Tokyo, she outlined the NDC government’s intention to align Ghana’s passport system with international standards through:

• A new infrastructure roll-out across 57 embassies and consulates

• Regional passport centres across all 10 administrative regions

• A planned upgrade for existing passport holders

This announcement marked the first official move toward chip-embedded passport implementation.

2017–2024 – NPP Administration: Implementation

After the NDC lost the 2016 elections, the incoming NPP government continued the passport upgrade under its digitalisation policy. Key developments included:

• A Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) agreement with Biometric Travel Solutions Limited

• A commitment in the NPP’s 2020 manifesto to roll out chip-embedded passports

• An official launch of the new passport on December 2, 2024, by President Akufo-Addo

At the launch, then-Foreign Affairs Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey acknowledged that the project began eight years prior under her ministry’s supervision, confirming its origins.

2025 – NDC Administration: Nationwide Rollout

On April 28, 2025, under the new NDC-led administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, headed by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, launched the full mass rollout of chip-embedded passports.

Key upgrades included:

• 24/7 Passport Head Office operations

• Nationwide courier delivery

• An electronic tracking system

• Faster processing times

• ICAO-compliant security features

• A planned fee reduction

Ablakwa emphasized that the rollout marked a "new era" in Ghana’s passport administration.

Conclusion

The claim by Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh that the NPP "introduced" Ghana’s chip-embedded passport is misleading.

• The NDC laid the foundation in 2016 with public announcements and planning.

• The NPP carried the implementation forward, launching the passport in 2024.

• The NDC in 2025 executed the nationwide rollout, bringing the passport to citizens.

Both administrations played distinct but crucial roles. Therefore, Ghana’s chip-embedded passport is not the achievement of one government alone, but rather a multi-year project executed across two political terms.