Government to Shutdown Mobile Sim Cards Lacking National ID Number Registration
Sahid Bangura The government has announced a crucial plan to enhance national security by shutting down all mobile SIM cards that are not registered with a National Identification Number (NIN) starting October 1, 2025.
The initiative was confirmed by the Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, during a recent media engagement.
Bah urged all citizens to secure their National Identification Cards by the deadline of July 31, 2025, emphasizing the importance of linking NINs to mobile numbers to combat cybercrime and protect freedom of speech.
“The purpose of the registration is to link the NIN to mobile numbers or SIMs in order to curb cybercrimes,” he stated.
The Minister asserted the government’s capability to track individuals via their mobile phones, asserting that this measure is essential for ensuring public safety and individual privacy.
He also noted that the new policy would assist law enforcement agencies in addressing issues such as defamation and the spread of false information.
“This policy will guarantee press freedom, as well as protect individual privacy and reputation,” Bah added, addressing concerns about the misuse of mobile technology for dubious activities.
The government has called on all citizens to comply with the registration process to avoid disruption of their mobile services, reinforcing the need for accountability in the digital age.
What about the Agent Sim card eve Sim card
The national identity card is too expensive,and again, it’s very difficult for some Sierra Leonean to get assess to it because of it location. Emerging for the Eastern region, NCRA office for national identity card is only in kenema, so the people of Kailuahun District and Kono district find it difficult to get assess to it because of the distance. How can you expect everyone to move from the extreme eagles in Kailuahun District to travel to kenema just for national identity card?
Let the government provides better mean for the people to get assess to it first before taking such decisions.
My brother, these people are not thinking about the less privilege. That’s the biggest problem of this country.
N C R A Office is available at Council Road 🛣️, just after the Library in Koidu City 🏙️ Kono District Sierra Leone 🇸🇱.
How can this government do that when the system of registration is very poor
How can this government take such action, without providing better means for the citizens to have access to the location.
While I believe that IDs should be tied to SIM cards, the government should just come out and say we want to be able to track you and arrest you easily when you criticize the government. They are not concerned about our privacy or whatever other nonsense reason they are giving. They actually said they are doing it to protect freedom of speech. No, you are doing it to curtail freedom of speech.
I feel petty for those that are fighting for this politician
I hope the present sitting government of sierra leone should re think of the sierra leoneans who already has a sim card but does not live there but is officially bought with passport not ID cards. Im a concern sierra leonean that travell often to sierra leone and have been using the same number, and i dont have ID card? I think the NN identification is for people who want live and work or go on with daily lives not for visitors.
Is not appropriate for now
The initiation is very essential and it is in place to cut down the misuse of mobile phone/internet. But what the government should be thinking of, is the accessibility of the card. The accessibility here is in two folds: the cost and the location. In term of the cost, not everyone/mobile users in province can afford to get NLe150 for the card because some of them don’t know the value of having it, so in that case, the government should either make it cost free or make it at minimum cost below NLe150 wherein everyone/mobile users can get it. Then the location should somehow close to everyone in the province just like how they conduct national/voter registration process, wherein centers are created for all. In this ways almost 90% will access it. But in this present way they are doing it, it will be very difficult.
You’re forcing people to take ID card, but you are making the facility reachable to the people. Even where the facilities are , do you the constraints people go through even after paying their money?
Dregman tatics