Post a comment 
The National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) has called on traditional leaders to help boost National ID registration across the Western Area.
At a meeting at the NCRA headquarters on King Harman Road, Director General Mohamed Mubashir Massaquoi told members of the Western Area Council of Tribal Heads that the biometric National ID card is mandatory for all Sierra Leoneans and legal residents aged 12 and above.
Mr. Massaquoi said the card, which carries a National Identification Number (NIN), is now required for banking, NASSIT enrolment, SIM registration, vehicle licensing, land transactions, passport processing and formal employment.
Under the new partnership model, chiefs who mobilise their communities will receive targeted support, including mobile registration teams for underserved areas.
Council Chairman Chief Sahr O. Gbekie welcomed the initiative and urged fellow chiefs to obtain their own ID cards first. He called for more registration points in remote and informal settlements.
Secretary General Chief Mathew Jibao Young outlined a plan that includes door-to-door visits in high-density neighbourhoods and community registration days linked to market days and local gatherings.
Tribal leaders raised concerns about mobile team timelines, data privacy, and access for informal settlements where documentation is difficult. The NCRA promised closer coordination and flexible scheduling of mobile units.
Both sides committed to expanding community-based registration and intensifying public awareness campaigns.
