The National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) has called for stronger investment in an integrated, decentralised and digital civil registration system as Sierra Leone prepares to enter a new decade of civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) development.

The call was made on August 10, 2026, during Sierra Leone’s commemoration of the 9th Africa Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Day at the NCRA headquarters on Kingharman Road in Freetown. The event brought together government institutions, development partners, civil society organisations, financial institutions, child-focused organisations and community representatives.

The commemoration was held under the theme, “The New CRVS Decade (2027 to 2036): Consolidating the Gains of AP AI – CRVS and Securing the Future of CRVS in Africa through Integration, Decentralisation and Digitalisation.”

NCRA Director General Mohamed Mubashir Massaquoi said civil registration is a fundamental responsibility of government because every statistic represents a person whose identity, rights and opportunities are at stake.

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He said the new CRVS decade provides Sierra Leone with an opportunity to consolidate the progress already made while strengthening integration, decentralisation and digitalisation across the civil registration system.

According to Massaquoi, NCRA has already strengthened the country’s national identity infrastructure, integrated civil registration with identity management, issued secure identity documents and established an identity verification platform used by institutions including financial and telecommunications companies.

He said the next stage should move beyond simply producing identity documents towards establishing a continuous identity system that follows individuals throughout their lives, from birth registration to death registration.

Such a system, he explained, would support citizens’ access to education, healthcare, social protection, financial services and employment.

Massaquoi stressed that integration must not mean unrestricted access to citizens’ personal information. Instead, he called for clear standards, effective governance and responsible collaboration between institutions to ensure that personal data is properly protected.

The NCRA Director General also called for civil registration services to be decentralised and brought closer to rural and underserved communities.

He warned that digitalisation must not create new barriers for people without reliable access to technology or internet connectivity. The new CRVS approach, he said, should therefore combine digital solutions with accessible services for communities that remain difficult to reach.

UNICEF Child Protection Officer Patrick Halton called for increased investment in birth registration, describing it as the foundation of legal identity and an important gateway to children’s rights.

Halton said birth registration helps protect children from child marriage, trafficking and child labour while facilitating access to education, healthcare and social protection.

He cited findings from the 2019 Demographic and Health Survey showing that more than three-quarters of children under five had been registered, while about nine in ten children under one had been registered. However, only about one third of children under five had a birth certificate.

He called for birth registration to be integrated into maternity services, health facilities, immunisation programmes and community health platforms, alongside decentralised and digital registration services.

Halton disclosed that approximately US$1.16 million would be required over the next three years to strengthen staffing, training, supplies, interoperability, monitoring and public awareness.

The Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone (ECSL) also highlighted the importance of NCRA’s identity system in preparing for the 2028 elections.

Representing ECSL, Ado Davies explained that the two institutions have separate mandates, with NCRA responsible for identifying and registering citizens while ECSL is responsible for registering eligible voters.

He said linking the systems would help verify eligible voters and reduce duplication. First-time voters who have not yet been captured by NCRA would first complete civil registration before proceeding with voter registration.

Davies called for increased investment in technology, infrastructure and legislation as the country prepares for the 2028 polls.

The Bank of Sierra Leone also highlighted the growing role of the National Identification Number (NIN) in the financial sector.

Representing the central bank, Philip Bangura said a unique NIN could address challenges associated with individuals using multiple forms of identification, while strengthening Know Your Customer procedures and credit reporting.

He added that linking national identity with financial services could help combat fraud, particularly in mobile money and other digital transactions, while supporting broader financial inclusion.

Civil society and community representatives called for greater public awareness and improved access to registration services.

Civil society representative Alphonso Manley urged NCRA and civil society organisations to work together to take registration information and services closer to communities, while maintaining strong data protection and privacy safeguards.

Children Forum Network representative Mary Julius stressed that legal identity is fundamental to child protection and access to education, while President of the Market Women Haja Marie Bob Kandeh called for registration services to become more accessible to women and other vulnerable groups.

Kandeh noted that many market women face difficulties travelling long distances or leaving their businesses to access government services.

The stakeholders ultimately called for a CRVS system that is integrated, secure and accessible, while ensuring that children, women, rural communities and other underserved groups are not left behind.

For Sierra Leone, the new CRVS decade is therefore expected to focus on strengthening universal legal identity, expanding digital and decentralised registration, protecting personal data and improving coordination among institutions responsible for identity, health, elections and financial services.