NaTCA and NCRA Strengthen Collaboration on NIN-SIM Integration

The National Communications Authority (NaTCA) chaired a key stakeholders’ meeting with representatives from NaTCA, the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA), the four Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), civil society organizations, and the press.

Opening the session, Smart I. B. Kokole, Director of Regulatory Administration at NaTCA and Project Lead for the NIN-SIM integration, provided a detailed background on the initiative. He traced its origins to the Subscriber Registration Regulations of 2020, which mandated the establishment of a verifiable subscriber database for national identification. With NCRA responsible for maintaining the National Identification Number (NIN) database, linking SIM registration to NIN was identified as a crucial step toward improving identity verification, combating fraudulent SIM activities, and enhancing national security, digital trust, and regional interoperability in line with ECOWAS standards.

NaTCA Director-General, Amara Brewah, reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to a secure, inclusive, and harmonized telecom landscape. He commended the MNOs for their proactive collaboration and technical readiness. Representatives of Africell, Orange, Qcell, and Afrimoney also expressed strong support for the initiative, pledging operational alignment with the agreed standards. They highlighted its potential to improve customer onboarding, reduce fraudulent SIM activities, and ensure regulatory compliance.

On his part, NCRA Executive Director Mohamed Massaquoi underscored the vital role of civil registration in enabling trusted digital ecosystems. He also acknowledged the technical challenges ahead but assured that NCRA was committed to overcoming them through inter-agency collaboration and innovation.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was formally signed between the Director-General of NaTCA and the Director-General of NCRA. This agreement establishes the institutional framework for secure data exchange, identity verification, regulatory compliance, and public awareness.

Additionally, Service Level Agreements (SLAs) were signed between NaTCA and the four MNOs, detailing technical specifications, service benchmarks, and implementation timelines for the rollout of the NIN-SIM integration across their respective networks.

In his closing remarks, the NaTCA Director-General praised all parties for their collaborative spirit and reiterated the Authority’s role in ensuring transparency, accountability, and citizen-focused digital transformation. He stressed that the success of the NIN-SIM initiative depends on strong inter-agency coordination, robust monitoring, and continuous public awareness.

The signing of the MoU and SLAs represents a major milestone in Sierra Leone’s journey toward secure digital identity integration and telecom sector modernization. These agreements lay the foundation for a unified, trusted, and transparent digital identity ecosystem.