Africell CEO Remarks During The Re-launched Of Sierratel
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YOUR EXCELLENCY, PRESIDENT JULIUS MAADA BIO,
HONOURABLE VICE PRESIDENT,
HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT
HONOURABLE CHIEF MINISTER AND MINISTERS OF GOVERNEMNT,
DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL OF NaTCA,
OUR CHAIRMAN MR ANTHONY NAVO
STAFF OF AFRICELL,
STAFF OF SIERRATEL,
DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
Good morning.
Your Excellency, first of all; thank you for gracing this occasion with your presence and for your continued leadership and support.
I am deeply honoured to stand before you today; as this is not just another business announcement, but a national moment.
Today, Africell lays another marker in fulfilment of a promise we made twenty years ago, a promise to stand by the Government and people of Sierra Leone to invest, build, and deliver world class communication services that we can be proud of.
Today, that promise takes another bold new step forward.
Sierra Leoneans can once again say with pride: “Our national network is back.” And Africell is proud to be the partner that made it possible.
Today we are proud to announce that Africell and the government of Sierra Leone have signed an agreement to relaunch full Sierratel operations as an MVNO service
Full service means, Sierratel subscriber will have full access to voice, data and mobile money services on day one.
Under this MVNO model, the Government does not make any investment into Sierratel’s operations or infrastructure. Yet it retains full ownership of all assets and starts to earn revenue on day one.
Africell brings the network infrastructure, the technology, and sustained commercial investment. Sierratel brings the national identity, the customer experience, and the products.
It is thus important to this is not privatization. Sierratel is not being sold. It is being revived.
National ownership remains fully intact. This is about strengthening a national asset not surrendering it.
In the agreement with government, the current staff of Sierratel were not left out. The agreement makes sure that there is a path to solving the challenges of their backlog salaries and benefits. Africell will be upfronting part of the liability. This was a key part of the agreement and both the ministry and Africell are committed to implementing the relevant clauses to its fullest. At this juncture I would want to thank all the Sierratel staff that stayed, reported to work and did all you can do to sustain the company.
Now What does this MVNO launch mean in practical terms for the people of Sierra Leone?
It means access.
Sierratel SIM cards and services will be available nationwide in every corner of the country.
It means flexibility.
Customers will have the power to build their own bundles combining data, voice, and mobile money based on their needs.
It means inclusion.
Access to a mobile money wallet will expand access to digital payments, especially for young people and underserved communities.
It means reliability.
A 24/7 customer care center fully staffed will be available from day one to support customers when they need it most.
Most importantly it means Freedom.
The freedom to communicate, the freedom to choose, the freedom to go further
We understand that trust in telecommunications is built on performance. And that is why Africell is fully committed to ensuring that Sierratel delivers a service that is reliable, accessible, and continuously improving.
This is about restoring confidence.
This is about delivering value.
And this is about ensuring that every Sierra Leonean feels connected not just to a network, but to its own network; Sierratel.
Since the news was announced a few weeks back; many questions were been asked by stakeholders and the public about how will this work. How will Africell run two different products and two different services.
The only way to achieve this is commercial separation.
A full commercial team has been recruited to live and breath Sierratel. They have full separation and independence and only work on Sierratel products and services. Sierratel is back, Sierratel is back to compete as very strong contender.
Two names. One national mission.
Your Excellency,
None of this would have been possible without your leadership and vision. We extend our sincere gratitude to the Government of Sierra Leone and specifically the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation under the leadership of Madam Salima Bah
This partnership required bold thinking and your government provided it.
On behalf of Africell, and on behalf of the millions of Sierra Leoneans who will benefit from this network, I say thank you.
We will not let you down.
I also have the honour of making a key announcement today.
to demonstrate the seriousness of our commitment to the Sierratel MVNO, we have seconded one of Africell’s most capable and trusted leaders to serve as its Managing Director.
He is a proud Sierra Leonean, with over two decades of experience within the telecoms industry.
I am proud to announce that Mr. Joe Abass Bangura will serve as the Managing Director of the Sierratel MVNO.
Joe this is yours to lead. And you have our full support.
Finally, let us remember who this is truly for.
This is for the next generation.
Sierra Leone has one of the youngest populations in the world with majority been under the age of twenty-five.
They are building businesses, creating content, and shaping the future on platforms that were never designed for them.
Sierratel is built for them.
Every product, every price, every experience has been designed with one simple question in mind: what do young Sierra Leoneans need to succeed?
And our answer is simple: freedom of choice
Your Network. Your Rules.
That is the promise of Sierratel.
Your Excellency, distinguished guests,
Twenty years ago, Africell came to Sierra Leone as a builder.
We have remained as a partner.
And today, we are proud to become part of a story that is bigger than any one company.
A national asset has been revived.
The network is live.
Sierratel is back and this time, it is different.
God bless Sierratel.
And God bless the people of Sierra Leone.
Thank you.
