Residents are queuing at the Headquarters of the National Civil Registration Authority
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Late last year (2024), State bodies in charge of ‘national civil registration/identification’ and ‘national security’ which include—the National Civil Registration Authority (commonly called NCRA), Sierra Leone Police (SLP), and the Office of National Security (ONS), issued a joint ‘ultimatum’ in the form of a press release, mandating Sierra Leoneans, and non-nationals residing within the borders of the small West African country to guarantee their free national movements, before January 1, 2025.
Several issues have arisen, ranging from registering for the identity card, the date for collection (time), the uses of the cards, the costs of ID cards, security features, and the significance of the cards to nationals and non-nationals. There is also the announcement and the official commencement of the ultimatum notice—mandating nationals and non-nationals to secure their national civil identity cards.
All of the issues mentioned above, including the timing of the ‘ultimatum release,’ have drawn significant attention to the free movements of nationals and non-nationals, including those who have not yet secured their national civil identification cards.
Against that backdrop, DUBAWA decided to enlighten Sierra Leoneans and non-national residents about the significance of identity cards and possible police actions against defaulters.
National Civil Registration Act
The Sierra Leone Parliament passed into law an Act establishing the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) on June 30, 2016. The establishment of the Authority is essentially to record every Sierra Leonean by registering, collecting, and safekeeping necessary personal data or information of every Sierra Leonean residing in the country.
According to Parliament, the NCRA national identity card is the sole agency with the responsibility to record, register, and safely keep the necessary information or data to identify all Sierra Leoneans and non-Sierra Leoneans living in the small West African nation.
“Mandatory ultimatum”
The issuance of a joint ‘ultimatum release regarding the mandatory possession of the NCRA national identity card has sparked mixed feelings, particularly among Sierra Leoneans. In most government, private and non-governmental organisations operating within the small West African nation, Identification card (s) have always been part of Sierra Leonean society.
Initially, most public service-producing institutions have accepted the country’s voter’s card as a strong source of identification.
The ultimatum release dated December 20, 2024, clearly indicated the different services and/or places where the NCRA ID card will be used nationwide starting on January 1, 2025.
The release states, in parts:
“…the general public is hereby informed that effective January 1, 2025, the security sector will commence checks for ID cards in communities and at various Security Check Points across the country.”
Image of the ultimatum release issued by NCRA, Police & Office of the National Security of Sierra Leone
The release added that all heads of government institutions must ensure they implement the release’s instructions as stated in the notice.
The Authority’s Director of Information and Public Education confirmed the ‘ultimatum notice’ with possible consequences to DUBAWA.
“Late last year, the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA), in partnership with the Sierra Leone Police (SLP) and the Office of National Security (ONS), issued a press release giving an ‘ultimatum’ for every national residing within the borders of the country to register, and possess a national identity card. This is to guarantee their free movement in the country after the date of the ultimatum: December 31, 2024. As agreed upon by the government institutions in charge of ‘identity identification’ of all nationals–residing within the borders of the small west African nation of Sierra Leone,” — Abu Bakarr Javombo—the Director of Information and Public Education for the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA), said.
He added that the national identity card that the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL), through the people’s representatives, approved for every Sierra Leonean is a ‘mandatory ID card’ that all country nationals must have to guarantee free movement in the entire state.
Javombo noted, that in due time, every other form of identity card will not be entertained by any institution in 2025.
Significance of the NCRA ID card to nationals
Commenting on the significance of the ‘NCRA national identity card’ for nationals, the Director of Information & Public Education for the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA), Javombo, said the card’s importance can’t be downplayed.
“In due time, every other form of identity card, including the ‘great voter’s card’ — which had been used over the years as a ‘strong force of identification’ will come to an end after January 1, 2025,” he said.
He added that, as patriotic citizens of Sierra Leone, securing the ID card is an obligation or a must for every well-meaning citizen residing within the country.
What is the punishment for failing to produce the NCRA national ID card?
Javombo noted that he could not predict the punishment or fines the security personnel would institute for failing to produce the card. However, he confirmed that ‘drastic measures’ would not be taken against citizens without the card.
“But, if as a citizen you don’t have your NCRA national identity card by the end of the year 2024 — which is the grace period, then you should not be shocked when the police stop you from moving freely within the borders of your country for not having the identity card which is MANDATORY for every national in the country,” he indicated.
Will banks and other government institutions accept ‘voter’s cards’ after January 1, 2025?
NO! Banks and other public institutions operating within the country will not accept any other form of identity card than the national identification card from the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) because it will be the only government-recognized identification card for every Sierra Leonean residing within the borders of Sierra Leone from January 1, 2025, going forward.
“From January 1, 2025, all banking halls, loan facilities, NGO & private organisations will not accept any voting card because the said card is only meant for electoral processes, and not for broader or general public use. That’s why we ensured that we indicated all the different services demanding a compulsory national identity card,” he noted.
The NCRA card will be the country’s only recognised identity card for nationals and non-nationals.
Director Javombo stated that even though non-nationals will also be asked to provide a valid identification card, theirs will be different from the one the citizens will be using as a source of identification. This will guarantee their free movement all over the small West African nation by the start of the new year 2025.
When probed about the type of identity card for non-nationals in the country, he revealed that non-Sierra Leone citizens have their ID tagged “non-national identity card” provided by the Authority.
He espoused the need for every foreign national residing within the country to kindly secure their identity cards if they wish to stay in Sierra Leone on legal grounds.
“Foreigners should make sure that they secure the non-national identity card if they do not want to face any inconveniences in the course of their daily activities in the country, beginning from the 1st of January, 2025,” Javombo confirmed.
He also added that penalties would be imposed on heads of public institutions mentioned in the notice who failed to secure the cards.
Security of the NCRA national identity card
Speaking on the security of the national identity card that the Authority produces, the Communications expert for the institution explained to DUBAWA that—in the first place, the NCRA cards are ‘biometric’ in nature with inherent security features inscribed in the said identity cards are topnotch.
Speaking on the importance of the “National Identification Number (NIN),” he stated that every Sierra Leonean is given a unique “National Identification Number – known as NIN.” This unique number, he added, will serve as the gatekeeper to every citizen’s confidential data in the hands of the Authority, and the body holds the sole right to protect and safeguard the personal information of all those who’ve secured their national identity cards in the past, he said.
What are citizens saying?
Sallaymatu Mansaray, a student who went to take her NCRA identity card at the Authority’s Headquarters in Freetown, told DUBAWA that she is worried due to the ultimatum given by NCRA, SLP, and the ONS, stating that they will start interrogating citizens without ID cards from January 1, 2025.
“I am here to secure my national ID card simply because I don’t want to be embarrassed by the security personnel as the ‘ultimatum notice’ was put out some weeks ago. That’s why I have come to secure mine now because I will have to visit relaxation points during the holidays to have fun with friends and family members, and I would not want to be disturbed,” she exclaimed.
Mohamed Mansaray, a civil servant who went to help her wife secure her national identity card, told DUBAWA that the card is essential because it has helped him get easy access to some institutions in the country.
“My brother, the national identity card issued by NCRA, has hugely helped me to secure a lot of opportunities, which were denied to people without the ID card right in front of my eyes in a banking hall in Freetown. That’s why I have come to assist my wife in getting hers owing to the importance attached to the national civil registration card–which had been approved by the people’s representatives in the Well of Sierra Leone’s Parliament,” he stated blatantly.
He further stated that he had been denied some facilities, including collecting money from the bank, standing as a guarantor at the police station, loans, and other significant events.
Dissent voice
Mohamed Nasiru Bawor, a motorbike rider and student in Freetown, told DUBAWA the government should not issue an ultimatum to citizens who have not secured the NCRA identity card yet because most of the country’s population doesn’t use the card much.
He noted strongly that he’s convinced that most nationals would ditch the mandatory national identity card, emphasising that most of the country’s petty traders, bike riders, messengers of institutions, etc., don’t consider the card to be important to them nor to their normal day’s movements or businesses they do for survival.
He stated that the best thing they should do “is to do more sensitisation regarding the essence of the card to all and sundry.”
“I secured my ID card some months ago because of my student status. I was asked for it while applying for admission and went for it, but trust me, most of my colleague bike riders would not even bother to secure theirs because they look at it as less important to them and their survival as ‘okada’ riders with little or no hope of having any business to do in the mentioned places and services,” he revealed.
When probed about the authenticity of the card he’d secured some months ago, Nasiru commended the NCRA identity card, adding that it is strong and biometric. He said that the security features on the card are top-notch.
He said that even the government’s ultimatum to citizens to secure their national identity cards is not too significant, stating that the card has little or no bearing on the daily activities of hundreds of Sierra Leonean folks in the country.
I disagree with someone saying the id card has no bearing in every day life in Sierra Leone. It is mandatory to have your ID card every where you go in advance countries. In the case of an accident, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and for immigration checks.