Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday 12 February 2025 – Sierra Leone’s Chief Minister, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh, has met with the leadership of Elcome International LLC to discuss proposals for expanding internet access across the country as part of the government’s digital transformation efforts.
Chief Minister Dr. Sengeh, who also serves as Sierra Leone’s Chief Innovation Officer, emphasized that the country already has platforms and systems in place for mobile money and electronic payments. He highlighted the need for Chief Executives of major social media platforms to prioritize Sierra Leone, assuring them that the government is ready to collaborate to reach important decisions.
“Our people create, share, and use content, but they do not get paid for it. His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio has made it a priority to ensure connectivity and enable our people to earn money for their content. If people are making money from their content, they will pay for the connectivity, creating a win-win situation. We are ready to listen, learn, and support our people,” Dr. Sengeh stated.
Minister of Communication, Technology, and Innovation, Ms. Salima Bah, reiterated the need to monetize social media content as a means of providing employment and skill opportunities for young people. She added that the government looks forward to deeper conversations and building partnerships to improve and expand internet access for citizens at affordable rates. Ms. Bah is scheduled to have further engagements with social media platform representatives at the ongoing summit.
Jimmy Grewal, Managing Director of Elcome, expressed their primary interest in connecting people by providing technology solutions and internet access to their customers. He mentioned leveraging their experience of providing connectivity to some of the remotest places in the world to address global connectivity challenges. Grewal also expressed interest in supporting Sierra Leone’s digitalization drive.
Elcome International LLC, headquartered in Dubai, is a technology solutions provider with over 55 years of experience and a significant global presence in several countries. The company has shown a strong interest in investing in Sierra Leone’s technology industry.
For more enquiries: Mohamed Lamin Massaquoi Information Attaché, United Arab Emirates Mob: +971 50 208 9695 massaquoi@slembassyuae.com