The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) is set to host the maiden Information Systems Academics and Practitioners’ Forum (ISAP Forum) on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, with a national dialogue on the role of public-sector identification systems in Ghana’s socioeconomic development.
The one-day forum, scheduled to take place at the UPSA Auditorium, will be held under the theme “Public Sector Identification Systems for Socioeconomic Development: The Ghana Experience and Way Forward”.
Organised by the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Studies (FITCS), the forum will bring together key stakeholders from government, academia, industry, regulatory institutions, development organisations, civil society and the media to examine Ghana’s identification ecosystem and explore practical pathways towards a more integrated, secure and development-oriented national identity system.
Dean of FITCS and Facilitator for the Conference, Prof Godfred Koi-Akrofi underscored the importance of the Public-sector identification systems, stating that “they have become an important component of modern governance, providing the means through which individuals are officially identified and authenticated to access public services, rights and opportunities.”
“However, the proliferation of different identification systems over the years has also raised questions about duplication, interoperability, cost, data protection and the effective integration of citizens’ identity information,” Prof Akrofi observed.
Prof Koi-Akrofi is confident the forum will provide a multi-stakeholder platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange and policy engagement on how these public-sector identification systems can be leveraged more effectively to support Ghana’s socioeconomic development.
Key thematic areas to be discussed at the forum will include the evolution, integration and socioeconomic impact of public-sector identification systems in Ghana, as well as implementation challenges, data protection, privacy, cybersecurity, interoperability and the future of digital identity.
The forum is expected to attract representatives from key public institutions involved in Ghana’s identification ecosystem, including the National Identification Authority (NIA), Electoral Commission (EC), National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), and Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD).
Regulatory and digital governance institutions, including the National Information Technology Agency (NITA), National Communications Authority (NCA), Cyber Security Authority and Data Protection Commission, are also expected to participate.
Other stakeholders include mobile network operators, technology providers, fintech companies, donor and development agencies, researchers, civil society organisations, academia and the media.
The forum is expected to generate practical recommendations and a policy brief or communiqué to strengthen Ghana’s identification architecture, promote integration, enhance collaboration among stakeholders and support the country’s broader digital transformation agenda.
For UPSA, the maiden ISAP Forum reinforces its commitment to fostering collaboration among academia, industry and policymakers on emerging information systems issues and contributing evidence-based perspectives to national development.
