Sierra Leone on Monday highlighted major regulatory achievements and telecommunications progress during the Regional ICT Regulators’ Forum in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, pointing to cross-border knowledge sharing and capacity-building programs as crucial drivers of its digital growth.
Delegates representing the National Telecommunications Authority (NaTCA) of Sierra Leone joined peer regulators, regional ICT organizations, and international development partners for the opening of the 8th Cohort of the ICT Policy and Regulation – Institutional Strengthening Programme (iPRIS).
Speaking at the forum, the Sierra Leonean delegation noted that participating in peer-to-peer regulatory platforms and technical exchange programs has strengthened the country’s capacity to modernize its legal frameworks, improve quality-of-service standards, and accelerate network rollout to unserved rural areas.
Sierra Leone’s representatives emphasized that direct engagement with regional regulators has helped national authorities implement practical solutions to complex regulatory challenges, including spectrum allocation, universal access fund management, and infrastructure sharing.
The Nairobi forum, hosted in collaboration with the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), brought together delegates from Sierra Leone, Mauritius, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Liberia, as well as regional bodies including the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA), the East African Communications Organisation (EACO), and the Communication Regulators’ Association of Southern Africa (CRASA).
Delivering welcome remarks on behalf of the host institution, Communications Authority of Kenya officials stressed that digital transformation across Africa has shifted from a future goal into an active reality, calling on regulators to collaborate so that digital growth remains secure, inclusive, and beneficial to citizens.
Mannaiah Baion, Manager at National Telecommunications Authority (NaTCA) of Sierra Leone, commended the active participation of Sierra Leone and other West African member states in regional harmonization efforts, stressing that unified regulatory approaches are vital to lowering market entry barriers and bolstering cyber resilience across the continent.
The gathering also featured international development partners, including representatives from the European Union, the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority, and Stockholm University through the Swedish Programme for ICT in Developing Regions (SPIDER).
Over the course of the Nairobi forum, delegates will deliberate on critical sector priorities, including 5G network rollout, cross-border fiber deployment, digital platform governance, and updating regulatory frameworks to match the rapid rise of artificial intelligence.