Government Seals Africell Deal to Revive Sierratel Under Network-Sharing Partnership
By: James Kamara-Manneh
The Government of Sierra Leone has approved a new public–private partnership with Africell Sierra Leone aimed at reviving the state-owned telecom operator Sierratel, in what officials describe as a fast-track strategy to restore national telecommunications services.
Announcing the decision at a press conference organised by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education, the Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation, Salima Monorma Bah, said the Cabinet-approved arrangement will allow Sierratel to resume operations by leveraging Africell’s existing infrastructure.
Under the terms of the agreement, Sierratel will remain 100 per cent government-owned, but its services will include voice calls, mobile connectivity, and internet.
will be delivered through Africell’s nationwide network. Both companies will operate under separate brand identities while entering into a revenue-sharing model.
Bah explained that the partnership is designed to address long-standing operational and financial challenges that rendered Sierratel largely inactive in recent years. By avoiding the immediate need for heavy capital investment in new infrastructure, the government expects a quicker and more cost-effective re-entry into the market.
“This model allows us to bring Sierratel back to life without the delays and financial burden of rebuilding a network from scratch,” she said, noting that the arrangement will also expand access to affordable digital services across the country.
Sierratel, once the backbone of Sierra Leone’s fixed-line and early mobile communications, has struggled for years due to aging infrastructure, limited investment, and increasing competition from private telecom operators. Its decline significantly reduced the government’s direct participation in the telecommunications sector.
Officials say the new framework reflects a shift toward infrastructure-sharing and public–private collaboration, a model increasingly adopted across Africa to improve efficiency and expand connectivity.
The government believes the partnership will introduce more competition into the telecoms market, potentially lowering tariffs and improving service quality for consumers. It also aligns with broader national digital transformation goals, including expanding internet penetration and strengthening regulatory oversight.
While details of the revenue-sharing formula and implementation timeline were not fully disclosed, the ministry indicated that technical integration between Sierratel and Africell is expected to begin immediately, with service rollout anticipated in phases.
Industry observers say the success of the initiative will depend on clear regulatory guidelines, transparency in revenue management, and the ability of both entities to maintain service quality under the shared network model.
The government has not indicated whether similar partnerships will be explored with other telecom operators, but officials maintain that the primary objective remains the rapid and sustainable revival of Sierratel as a competitive player in Sierra Leone’s telecommunications market.
