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Sierra Leone has officially relaunched its state-owned telecommunications company, Sierratel, under a new operational model that the government says preserves public ownership while leveraging private infrastructure to overcome years of financial collapse.
The revival, marked at a ceremony at the Miatta Civic Centre, saw the company return as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) through a 10-year strategic partnership with Africell. Managing Director Joe Abass Bangura emphasized the state retains full ownership, a point reinforced by Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation Salima Bah, who stressed the move is “not a sale of Sierratel”.
Instead of rebuilding its obsolete network, Sierratel will use Africell’s existing infrastructure, including 4G/LTE systems, to provide services. This approach bypasses the massive capital expenditure of network reconstruction and avoids the technological stagnation that previously crippled the operator.
The company’s decline was driven by an ill-fated $35 million investment in CDMA technology, which became obsolete as the industry shifted to GSM, leaving the operator with aging infrastructure and significant debt. Accumulated staff liabilities, including salary backlogs, stand at approximately $6.3 million for its 179 employees.
To address immediate staff welfare concerns, Africell has provided a $2 million advance payment, which will be reimbursed by the government. “There can be no restoration of Sierratel without restoring dignity and fairness to the people who have sustained it,” Minister Bah stated during the launch.
President Julius Maada Bio declared the revival a strategic shift from “failed approaches” and a move to bring private sector innovation into service of a public institution. Under the agreement, Sierratel will retain its brand and focus on customer relations, targeting students and young professionals with tailored voice, data, and mobile money services under a revenue-sharing model.
