May 2026 — His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has formally relaunched Sierratel as a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) in a strategic partnership with Africell, bringing the state-owned telecommunications provider back into Sierra Leone’s communications landscape. The move is intended to increase access to services, reliability, competition, and job opportunities for young people involved in the country’s growing digital economy.
During the relaunch ceremony, President Bio described the decision as a deliberate and forward-thinking effort to reposition the telecommunications sector for the demands of the twenty-first century. “Today, we decide to connect differently and compete seriously. This launch is a significant step toward improving how we communicate as a nation, conduct business, and position Sierra Leone for the future,” he stated.
Reflecting on Sierratel’s past, the President recalled the company’s historic role as the backbone of national communications — connecting government institutions, facilitating commerce, and connecting families across the country. He emphasised that Sierratel remains a strategic national asset whose importance extends beyond commercial considerations. “For us as a government, the question was never whether Sierratel should be restored, but how to do so responsibly and reposition it in today’s competitive telecommunications environment,” he said.
President Bio praised Sierratel staff for their tenacity and dedication in serving the institution during difficult operational periods. He reassured employees that all verified obligations owed to them would be handled in a structured, transparent, and accountable manner, emphasising that meeting those obligations is a duty rather than a choice. As a symbolic gesture of the government’s commitment to employee welfare, representatives of unpaid Sierratel employees were presented with a dummy cheque for US$2,000,000 (Two Million United States Dollars).
Sierratel will be able to operate as an MVNO, providing voice, data, and mobile money services using Africell’s existing network infrastructure while maintaining its national identity. President Bio described the MVNO model as a practical way to re-establish Sierratel’s operational relevance without the large capital investment required to build and operate a full national network. He also emphasised the opportunities for Sierra Leonean youth to develop their skills and find work in the digital sector under the agreement.
At the event, President Bio was presented with a special Sierratel SIM card that includes one year of unlimited internet data, symbolising the company’s renewed confidence in its ability to provide dependable digital services.
Minister of Communications, Technology, and Innovation Salima Bah described the relaunch as a strategic and practical response to the need to revitalise Sierratel. She emphasised that the collaboration with Africell is not a privatisation of the state-owned enterprise, but rather a focused public-private partnership aimed at restoring Sierratel’s operational role, expanding service access, and strengthening market competition in the telecommunications sector.
Officials say the relaunch as an MVNO represents a new chapter in Sierra Leone’s digital transformation agenda, demonstrating the government’s commitment to innovation, inclusion, and long-term growth. The collaboration is expected to increase consumer connectivity options, improve service quality through shared infrastructure, and provide clearer pathways for professional and technical development among young Sierra Leoneans seeking employment in the communications and digital technology industries.
The government intends to balance national strategic interests with market realities by repositioning Sierratel under a public-private partnership, ensuring that the state-owned operator contributes to national development while operating in a competitive and modern telecommunications environment.
