Video excerpts of Minister @salima_mb at the Ministry of Information and Civic Education press conference announcing Africell Sierra Leone as Sierratel’s investment partner, explaining the MVNO model, how it works, and what it means for Sierra Leone.
The Big 5 AI and Blockchain Hackathon Winners
Today, the Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation (MoCTI) celebrated the arrival of enterprise-ready solutions built by Sierra Leoneans, for Sierra Leone. While all eight finalists showed incredible brilliance, two teams stood out for their immediate impact on our national “Big 5” agenda:
1. Team Fixam- Grand Prize Winner (Le 680,000)
They built an Intelligent WhatsApp Bot that simplifies citizen reporting into a natural, conversational flow. By using Whisper AI to transcribe Krio and English voice notes. The system uses AI to instantly categorize issues, detect urgency, and filter duplicates within a 100m radius, allowing responses with unprecedented speed and accuracy.
2. Team NextGen – Runner Up (Le 450,000)
Their platform, TrustBridge, acts as a digital gateway between local talent and the global market. It features an ATS-optimized CV builder and an intelligent job-matching engine, secured by Solana Blockchain technology to track credentials and diaspora investments with 100% transparency.
The Minister has officially committed to working with all eight finalist teams. Regardless of the prize money, your solutions have been noted, and we are opening the doors for mentorship, and technical support with the Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation to complete these platforms into workable solutions.
Congratulations to our winners and to the entire cohort.
#Big5
#artificialintelligence
#hackathon
#blockchain
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I showed up again, and this time, I am honoured to have been invited to speak at the 18th Edition of the West Africa Internet Governance Forum (WAIGF 2026).
The forum brought together policymakers, regulators, private sector leaders, technical experts, civil society actors, youth representatives, and development partners from across West Africa, with hundreds more joining virtually through online participation platforms.
During the forum, I called on West Africa to take the lead in advancing its digital sovereignty and economic value in an inspiring way using the unique history and natural beauty of Sierra Leone to remind all stakeholders that such leadership is possible. To God be the Glory!
My gratitude to @salima_mb and @mocti_sl . Representing @ink_salone .
Outfit from @kanumary.336
Building AI Governance that works for West African Public Institutions.
We are not waiting for AI to arrive in West Africa. It has arrived. The question is whether we are governing it, or it is governing us.
One of the sessions led by Tiangay Samantha Massaquoi challenged participants to confront three uncomfortable truths about Artificial Intelligence governance in West Africa.
1. Capacity constraints are not an excuse for inaction.
Even low-resource environments must establish minimum accountability standards for AI systems.
2. Regional coordination is not optional.
AI systems deployed in one country can affect citizens across borders, making the role of Economic Community of West African States more important than ever.
3. Civil society is not a luxury, it is infrastructure.
Community oversight, independent audits, and accessible redress systems are essential for legitimate and ethical AI governance.
The session also looked at studies from Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Senegal, highlighting both the progress being made and the governance gaps that still exist across the region.
So the question is, is West Africa ready to govern AI responsibly before AI begins governing us without accountability? What are your thoughts?
Sierra Leone officially opened the 18th Edition of the West Africa Internet Governance Forum (WAIGF 2026) on Thursday, 14 May 2026, at the Miatta Conference Centre in Freetown, positioning the country at the center of regional discussions on internet governance, digital inclusion and emerging technologies.
The forum has brought together policymakers, regulators, private sector leaders, technical experts, civil society actors, youth representatives and development partners from across West Africa, with hundreds more joining virtually through online participation platforms.
Hosting WAIGF 2026 shows Sierra Leone’s growing leadership in regional digital policy conversations, particularly at a time when H.E President Julius Maada Bio serves as Chair of ECOWAS, reinforcing the country’s commitment to regional cooperation, integration and digital transformation across West Africa.
In her keynote address, the Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation, Madam Salima Bah called for stronger regional cooperation in guiding West Africa’s digital future.
“We cannot continue to approach Africa’s digital future as individual countries solving isolated problems. The challenges of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data governance and digital inclusion require a coordinated regional response,” the Minister stated.
She further urged the region to become active contributors in the development of emerging technologies.
“We must not only consume artificial intelligence technologies developed elsewhere. Africa must participate in designing them, shaping them and ensuring that our languages, realities and priorities are reflected in the systems that will define the future,” she said.
The opening day also featured strategic workshops and policy discussions focused on internet governance, emerging technologies, connectivity, digital rights and regional cooperation, setting the tone for continued engagement throughout the five-day forum.
Photos from the opening session
#westafrican
#digitalsovereignty
The 18th edition of the West Africa Internet Governance Forum Opening Ceremony ‼️
Ahead of today’s official opening of the 18th West Africa Internet Governance Forum 2026, regional activities had already begun earlier this week with the West Africa School on Internet Governance, held on 11 and 12 May at the Miatta Conference Centre. The School brought together 40 fellows, experts, and facilitators from across West Africa for two days of training, policy dialogues, and discussions on internet governance, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital cooperation, data governance, and emerging technologies. The regional process continued yesterday with the West Africa Youth Internet Governance Forum, focused on youth participation and digital leadership.
Today, four parallel workshops and strategic sessions were also held as part of the Forum programme.
Slides of pictures from the panels held this morning.
Youth Entrepreneurship, Creator Economies, and Local Digital Value panel ‼️
In a world dominated by global tech giants, how do we ensure that West African youth entrepreneurs are not just users of platforms, but owners of the digital value they create?
What one policy change would unlock the most potential for you?
Safe Platforms, Child Online Protection and Online Trust panel led by Issaka Mamam Lourwana, Founder Digital Niger; Serge Mbengue, Meta Public Policy Manager, Francophone Africa; Pretty Tega Edema, Lecturer, Admiralty University of Nigeria.
Key takeaways:
Child online protection in West Africa cannot be solved by a single lever like restriction or technology alone. It requires a layered approach that balances access, safety, language inclusion, platform accountability, and updated legal frameworks. The internet experience of young users in West Africa is shaped more by platform design and algorithms than by local safeguards or parental systems. At the center of the discussion was a key question, how to protect children online without designing systems that quietly limit their participation, voice, and agency?
A question that emerges is this:
Are current safety systems actually protecting children, or are they mostly optimized for platform risk management and regulatory compliance?
What are your thoughts?
Keynote speaker for the West Africa Internet Governance Forum 2026 youth track‼️
Speaking at the opening session of the West African Internet Governance Forum (WAIGF 2026), the Minister of Youth Affairs, Hon. Ibrahim Sannoh, outlined Sierra Leone’s strategic transition toward youth digital sovereignty. Addressing the youths, Minister Sannoh emphasized a policy shift away from passive technology consumption toward active digital ownership and economic self-reliance.
Through targeted national programs, the Ministry of Youth Affairs is equipping young Sierra Leoneans to lead the regional digital economy across key sectors
To learn more about these national initiatives, visit the ministry’s official website here👉🏽https://youthaffairs.gov.sl/
The High-Level Panel on Youth Priorities for Digital Sovereignty and Economic Opportunity in West Africa featured contributions from Mohamed Wurie Bah, Founder of Wivo Legal Tech 4 Africa; Ignatius Awutey, Strategist; Dembele Aminata, CEO of MASSAMOUSSO (Les Reines du Numériques); Christopher Greene, CEO of Syberlex Consulting; and Loveday Onyeanula, Coordinator of Nigeria Youth IGF.
Key Highlights from this panel:
1. Young people must be positioned as creators, innovators, and decision-makers within West Africa’s digital future.
2. Digital sovereignty requires stronger investments in local talent, digital skills, and youth-led innovation ecosystems.
3. Cybersecurity awareness and safer digital spaces are critical to protecting Africa’s growing digital economy.
4. Youth participation in internet governance and policy conversations must be strengthened across the region.
5. Regional collaboration between governments, startups, civil society, and private sector actors is essential for unlocking digital economic opportunities.
6. Greater inclusion of women and underserved communities in technology and digital leadership remains a priority.
#digitalsoverignty
#waigf2025
#economicopportunities
The West Africa Internet Governance Forum (WAIGF) youth track 2026.
Today, the event provides a structured and action-oriented space for young leaders, innovators, students, civil society actors and digital entrepreneurs across ECOWAS to engage directly with regional digital public policy priorities.
The West Africa Internet Governance Forum(WAIGF) is a regional Initiative that brings together various stakeholders to discuss and address Internet-related issues in West Africa.
Slides of pictures from the opening ceremony
