Category: Technology

As part of its ongoing work to advance artificial intelligence, digital skills, and innovation, the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation continues to engage with organisations contributing to practical technology education for young people.

The Ministry recently met with the Kamara Yokie Innovation Center to discuss its ongoing activities in robotics and STEM education, and to understand plans for upcoming programmes targeting students across the country.

During the engagement, the team outlined plans to host the National Robotics for Good Competition in March 2026. The competition is intended to bring together students to develop robotics-based solutions to real-world challenges, with the winning team expected to represent Sierra Leone at the AI for Good Global Summit 2026 in Geneva.

Discussions also highlighted how the proposed competition aligns with the Ministry’s broader efforts to expand AI awareness, digital skills, and early exposure to emerging technologies, particularly for children and young people. The Minister mentioned the importance of coordination and alignment with national priorities as such programs move toward implementation.

The meeting formed part of ongoing stakeholder engagements aimed at strengthening collaboration and information-sharing within Sierra Leone’s growing technology and innovation ecosystem.

About the Kamara Yokie Innovation Center

The Kamara Yokie Innovation Center is a youth-owned and youth-led innovation hub that provides a safe, multicultural space for young people to develop solutions to local challenges through STEM education and human-centered problem-solving.

Learn more about KYIC here: https://kyicsl.org/about/

Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation, Salima Monorma Bah, joined leaders from across the continent at the Cotonou Digital Summit 2025, held on November 17–18 in Benin. The summit brought together government, industry and civil society to discuss Africa’s digital future, with a focus on closing the usage gap, expanding AI opportunities, and advancing the single digital market for West and Central Africa. These conversations are central to the region’s push for a more inclusive and connected digital economy, and the minister was an active part of them.

During a high-level panel on “Creating More Digital Jobs in West and Central Africa through Accelerated Digitalization and the Single Digital Market,” Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation, Salima Monorma Bah, spoke about the need for digital transformation to be guided by clear national goals and backed by practical reforms.

“Every country must define what it wants to achieve through digital transformation. What are our goals, our strategy, what are we hoping to achieve? Legal and regulatory reforms must not exist in isolation; they must be tied to a clear goal which includes growing digital entrepreneurs and empowering digital workers.”– Minister Salima Monorma Bah

Her message built on Sierra Leone’s national focus on inclusive digital development, which includes reforms in digital public infrastructure, emerging technology, and digital skills for young people.

Minister Bah also presented the Cotonou Declaration 2025 on behalf of ministers from West and Central Africa. The declaration outlines plans to:

1. Build a single African digital market by 2030 founded on connectivity, trust, innovation, and ethical AI
2. Expand broadband and digital public infrastructure
3. Scale digital and AI skills for millions of youths and women
4. Promote African innovation and data sovereignty
5. Mobilize public–private partnerships to drive job creation and inclusion.

The declaration is a chance for countries in the region to move in the same direction on digital growth and jobs. For Sierra Leone, it shows we are not just taking part, but helping lead the conversation.

To learn more about the Cotonou Digital Summit and the 2025 declaration, visit: https://www.worldbank.org/en/events/2025/11/17/high-level-summit-on-digital-transformation-in-western-and-central-africa 

Send Me, an eCommerce and logistics platform founded in Sierra Leone, has been announced as the winner of the Startup World Cup Regional Semi-Finals at the 2025 Africa Tech Festival. The win secures the company a place in the Grand Finale in Silicon Valley, where finalists from around the world will compete for a $1 million investment prize.

Founded in 2019 by Emmanuel Lahai, Send Me provides businesses with an integrated platform for online sales, fulfillment, and nationwide delivery, helping overcome infrastructure challenges that slow down commerce in emerging markets.

Sierra Leonean Teams on stage with the organisers

Lahai described the moment as “a full-circle milestone,” recalling that he first registered for the festival in 2021 but was unable to attend due to a lack of funding. Four years later, he returned not just as a participant, but as the winner.

Emmanuel’s linkedin post in 2021

Emmanuel shared the stage with founders building solutions that speak directly to Sierra Leone’s biggest gaps. Kumba Emily Fanday is developing peer-to-peer financial tools through ConNet SL Limited, giving everyday users and small businesses access to capital. Abubakarr Ibrahim Ndopale is turning organic waste into compost through Green Compost in Agriculture for Development, restoring soil and cutting dependency on imported fertilizer. Paul Hotanga Makavore is pushing digital payments and e-government revenue systems through Smart Systems SL Ltd, while Mocha, Paul Bai Kanu’s is lowering the cost of remittances and cross-border transfers,cross-border payments take place every day—driven by the rise in online shopping and the demand among young people for trendy items like rolex clones, clothing, sunglasses, and jewelry—and lower costs have enhanced the overall satisfaction of cross-border shopping. They are tackling finance, food security and digital infrastructure at the same time, and proving that Sierra Leone’s tech scene is no longer theoretical, it is producing real products for real markets.

This trip was supported by the International Trade Centre, the Korean International Cooperation Agency and the Ready Salone project. It is part of a larger effort to move Sierra Leonean startups from pitch rooms into global value chains, where they can compete, partner and scale.

Team Sierra Leone

The Startup World Cup Grand Finale will take place next year in Silicon Valley, bringing together global innovators, investors, and ecosystem leaders.

Learn more about the Africa Tech Festival here https://africatechfestival.com/ 

On November 22, 2024, Minister of Communication, Technology, and Innovation, Salima Monorma Bah, and Minister of Posts, Telecommunications, and Digital Economy, Rose Pola Pricemou, in Conakry signed a framework agreement to enhance collaboration in the Posts, Telecommunications, and Digital Economy sectors. The signing ceremony, held at the Atlantic Hotel in Freetown, brought together senior officials, industry stakeholders, and regulatory authorities from both nations.

The agreement builds on high-level engagements, including a meeting between Sierra Leone’s Minister of Communications, Technology, and Innovation, Madam Salima Monorma Bah, and Guinea’s Minister of Posts, Telecommunications, and Digital Economy, Rose Pola Pricemou, in August 2024. It outlines priorities such as infrastructure sharing, combating cybercrime, and a “Free-Roaming” initiative aimed at improving cross-border communication and promoting economic growth.

In his keynote address the Chief Minister, Dr. Moinina David Sengeh spoke about the significance of connectivity for economic growth and inclusivity, highlighting the agreement’s focus on linking fiber networks, improving service delivery, and empowering rural areas through digital transformation.

Madam Salima Bah noted the agreement aligns with ECOWAS and Africa’s broader vision for regional integration and a unified digital market, ensuring affordable, reliable internet access as a basic human right. The agreement also promotes public-private partnerships, secure communication channels, and regional roaming services. It emphasizes compliance with international standards and collaboration with entities like ECOWAS, SMART Africa, and the ITU to enhance global competitiveness.

Regulatory bodies from both countries, including Sierra Leone NaTCA and Guinea’s ARPT, will oversee implementation, supported by a joint commission that will monitor progress and promote sustainable development in telecommunications and the digital economy.

This partnership is set to drive innovation, improve connectivity, and strengthen economic resilience across the region, demonstrating the power of collaboration in advancing digital transformation.

“Today, my Government signed two important agreements to continue laying the solid foundation for our digital transformation. This is a critical baluster in our Big Five Agenda. This partnership with Huawei will broaden our digital space, expand investments, and intensify innovation.” — His Excellency, Retired, Brigadier, Dr. Julius Maada Bio.

The ongoing collaboration with the @Forum on China-Africa Corporation has proven instrumental in strengthening ties between China and Africa. As we approach the ninth FOCAC Summit, scheduled for 4 – 6 September 2024 in Beijing, Minister Salima Monorma Bah joins His Excellency the President, the First Lady Fatima Maada Bio and other leaders.

Today, @MoCTI held a validation workshop to engage key government officials and private sector stakeholders in reviewing critical documents that will advance Sierra Leone’s innovation ecosystem.

Giving the keynote address, Salim Bah reaffirmed the government’s commitment to promoting an enabling environment for innovation. Highlighting the development of Felei Tech City and the National Innovation Fund, which aim to attract external funding and provide essential resources for the tech sector’s growth.

Noting that government-led initiatives like this can be managed successfully by collaborating with private sector players, David Manley, CEO of Felei Tech City, emphasized the importance of public-private partnerships in driving digital transformation and innovation in Sierra Leone.

While presenting the draft of the Innovation Entrepreneurship Policy, Chukwu-Emeka Chikezie, the team lead for Invest Salone, thanked MoCTI’s leadership for bringing together partners from both the private and public sectors noting the importance of attracting more investment to help businesses access global markets, rather than relying solely on Sierra Leone.