By Saidu Kargbo
Freetown, 13th January 2025 – A total of 3,000 commercial motorbike riders across five districts, Western Urban, Western Rural, Bo, Kenema, and Bombali are set to benefit from a free ID card distribution programme launched by the Institute of Development and Humanitarian Assistance (IDHA) in partnership with the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA).
The initiative, rolled out at the Sierra Leone Commercial Motorbike Riders Union (SALCOMBRU) headquarters on Jenner Wright Road, Race Course, Up-Gun, Freetown, is designed to ease financial burdens on riders while strengthening national identification systems. The distribution will run for two weeks, offering riders direct access to ID cards without incurring costs or travelling to NCRA offices.
In his welcome address, SALCOMBRU Vice President Bai Tarawalie expressed gratitude on behalf of the riders, noting that the gesture would save them both time and money. “Instead of us going to the NCRA, they’ve brought the opportunity to us, so I’m appealing to everybody to grab it,” he said, urging riders to show up early to collect their cards.
Beyond ID distribution, IDHA is investing in skills training for 1,200 bike riders in areas such as automobile engineering, construction, tailoring, and fashion design. According to IDHA Executive Director Simon Olagai, the programme titled “Empowering Youth Bike Riders as Sustainable Agents of Peace” is aimed at promoting self-reliance and financial empowerment among young people.
“This is a pilot project, but our plan is to expand it into a national programme,” Olagai explained, underscoring IDHA’s commitment to transforming livelihoods through development assistance.
Speaking at the event, NCRA Executive Director and Chairman Mohamed Mubashir Massaquoi reaffirmed the authority’s dedication to making services more accessible. “We are delivering on the pronouncement of His Excellency Rtd Brigadier Julius Maada Bio, that this year, 2026, will be a year of action. So we’re delivering by action and putting those plans into reality,” Massaquoi said.
