Sierra Leone To Host ECOWAS Telecoms Conference

Sierra Leone will play host to the West Africa Telecommunications Regulatory Assembly or WATRA on March 19 to 22, 2024. WATRA was established in November 2004 and is responsible for working with the telecommunications regulators of all 16 member states of ECOWAS to promote the adoption of regulations that stimulate economic growth through telecoms, deliver more affordable telecoms services to a greater number of West Africans, facilitate swift economic transactions using telecoms and improve wider and easier access to public services.

Sierra Leone’s Minister of Communications, Technology and Innovation Md. Salima Bah is expected to deliver the kynote address at the event and is expected to show case Sierra Leone’s remarkable improvement in the telecommunications sector over the last five years of President Bio.

The Director General of the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority Mr. Amara Brewah will take over the chairmanship of WATRA. This gives Sierra Leone a platform to advocate for reforms in the sector and strive to improve telecommunications services in the country and within the West Africa subregion.

WATRA seeks also to ensure West African countries collaborate and become proactive in leveraging the digital economy’s advantages and emerge as key players in the global digital world. It seeks to build synergy and collaboration within the West African region for greater impact across Africa and the world generally. During the conference it is expected that WATRA would push for increased broadband penetration, and facilitate digital education too. There’s a need for the West African subregion to leverage its vast population with a view to positioning and boosting the West African digital economy. The need for West African countries to explore their strength and weaknesses to force efficient and productive collaboration for a sustainable digital economy would be discussed.

Digital Public Infrastructure which is the responsibility of everybody to build and not just governments would be deliberated on. The positive strides by each participating country would be touched with a view to share knowledge and learn from varying experiences. The various challenges faced by each country towards the attainment of digital economy could also form a part of the conference.