The National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) has launched a Mobile Registration Team to bring national identity registration services closer to residents of Grafton, Kossoh Town, Jui and surrounding communities. The initiative was officially launched on Thursday, 27 July 2026, at Grafton Community, as part of NCRA’s efforts to expand access to national identity services, issue National Identification Cards and capture biometric information.
Speaking at the launch, NCRA Director General Mohamed Mubashir Massaquoi said the mobile registration initiative was designed to reduce the challenges residents face in travelling to NCRA offices to obtain their National ID Cards.
He said NCRA had engaged tribal heads across the Western Area, who raised concerns about the distance residents have to travel to access the Authority’s services and appealed for registration services to be brought closer to their communities.
“The NCRA Office has now moved to Grafton, Kossoh Town and Jui communities, so make use of the opportunity to secure your ID Cards because they will not be here forever. This is a temporary move by NCRA to make the process very easy and accessible to you,” Massaquoi stated.
The NCRA Director General urged residents to take advantage of the mobile registration exercise during the stipulated period, warning that those who fail to register at the designated community centres after the exercise will have to travel to NCRA offices to obtain their cards.
Massaquoi explained that the mobile team forms part of NCRA’s broader outreach programme aimed at taking identity management services directly to communities that experience difficulties accessing the Authority’s permanent offices.
He said the initiative would help improve the uptake of National IDs and ensure that more citizens are properly identified and able to access essential services and opportunities.
According to the NCRA Director General, National Identification Cards have become increasingly important because they are now required for numerous transactions and services, including obtaining driving licences, conducting banking transactions and purchasing SIM cards.
He therefore encouraged residents to secure their National ID Cards, noting that possessing a recognised national identity document would enable citizens to access a wide range of government and private-sector services.
The Chief of Grafton Community has welcomed the National Civil Registration Authority’s (NCRA) decision to deploy a mobile registration team to Grafton, Kossoh Town, Jui and surrounding communities, describing the move as a significant response to residents’ concerns over access to National Identification Cards, adding that the efforts to bring the registration services closer to residents followed engagements between traditional leaders and the NCRA management.
He explained that following a meeting with Tribal Heads within the Western Area on the challenges residents face in obtaining National ID Cards, he immediately returned to Grafton and began engaging community members on the importance of securing the cards.
According to him, residents demonstrated strong interest in obtaining National ID Cards but repeatedly identified the distance to NCRA offices as a major obstacle.
He said the concerns were subsequently communicated to NCRA management through a series of engagements between the Authority and community representatives.
The Chief described the deployment of the mobile registration team as a successful outcome of those engagements, noting that NCRA had agreed to provide services in Grafton, Kossoh Town and Jui for several weeks.
He said the initiative would enable residents to register for and obtain their National ID Cards within their communities, eliminating the need to travel long distances to NCRA offices.
The Community Chief commended NCRA for listening to the concerns and demands of residents and for taking practical steps to make national identity services more accessible.
He encouraged residents of Grafton and surrounding communities to take advantage of the mobile registration exercise and ensure they obtain their National ID Cards during the period the team remains in the communities.
Community resident Fatmata Sesay has welcomed the deployment of the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) mobile registration team to Grafton, describing the initiative as a timely intervention that will make it easier for residents to obtain their National Identification Cards.
Sesay said many residents have been interested in securing their National IDs but were often discouraged by the distance and transportation costs involved in travelling to NCRA offices. She expressed appreciation to the Authority for bringing the service directly to the community and encouraged residents to take advantage of the opportunity while the mobile team remains in the area.
Another community resident, Musa Kamara, commended NCRA for taking national identity registration services closer to residents of Grafton, Kossoh Town, Jui and surrounding communities. He said the initiative would save residents time and money while making the registration process more convenient.
Kamara urged community members to use the opportunity to register and obtain their National Identification Cards, noting that the document is increasingly important for accessing various government and private-sector services.
He also called for continued outreach programmes to other communities where residents face difficulties accessing NCRA services.
