Widespread complaints from Ghanaians seeking birth certificate verification and related services have raised concerns over delays, record-keeping, and the reliability of the country’s civil registration system. Citizens have reported difficulties correcting errors on birth certificates, replacing lost documents, obtaining certificates after payment, and receiving responses to enquiries. These issues have been reported by multiple individuals, highlighting a potential problem with the Births and Deaths Registry.
Samuel Setor Gasue and Alexander Ntim Dwomoh are among those who have experienced difficulties with their birth certificates. Gasue said problems with his birth certificate had affected his visa applications, which were refused twice. He also claimed that an email he sent to the Registry had gone unanswered for about a year. Dwomoh applied for birth certificates for his twins in 2024 but received documents containing errors that were subsequently returned for correction.
Other citizens have reported difficulties obtaining replacement certificates after documents were lost, while some said they had paid for certificates for their children but were still waiting to receive them. Errors in personal records were another recurring concern, with some applicants describing the correction process as difficult and time-consuming. One applicant stated that a mistake on the certificate was an issue during verification.
Some citizens have also made allegations of unofficial payments. Joshua Freeman Osator alleged that applicants were sometimes asked to make payments without receiving receipts, while Gloria Gyekyewaa Amoah claimed some officers demanded additional payments before providing services. However, these allegations have not been independently substantiated.
The Births and Deaths Registry is responsible for registering births and deaths, maintaining related records, issuing certified copies, and verifying and authenticating certificates for institutions, including foreign missions. The reliability of those records can have consequences beyond routine administration, particularly when birth certificates are required for visa applications, immigration procedures, citizenship matters, education, or family-related processes.
A prolonged inability to retrieve or authenticate a genuine record can create significant difficulties for citizens seeking to establish their identity or family relationships before other institutions. The complaints also raise broader questions about the preservation, retrieval, and security of civil-registration records. Accurate civil registration provides foundational identity information and supports access to public services and legal rights.
The reported experiences highlight the importance of ensuring that birth records are accurately maintained, securely preserved, and readily retrievable decades after they are first registered. The Births and Deaths Registry has yet to publicly respond to the specific complaints outlined by the affected citizens. A response from the institution could help clarify the causes of reported delays, procedures for correcting errors and replacing certificates, complaint mechanisms, and safeguards against unauthorised payments.
Key points
- Ghanaians are experiencing difficulties obtaining birth certificates, affecting visa applications and immigration procedures.
- The issues have raised concerns over delays, record-keeping, and the reliability of the country’s civil registration system.
- The Births and Deaths Registry has yet to publicly respond to the specific complaints outlined by the affected citizens.
