State House, Freetown, Thursday 28 September 2023 – His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has hosted the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of Orange SONATEL Group, Sékou Drame, who expressed delight in operating in Sierra Leone and assured of his company’s commitment to delivering on the government’s priority projects.
He expressed gratitude for the encouraging changes they continued to experience in the country, regarding ease of doing business and investing in people, pointing out that “as a responsible company, we promised to give back to society.”
Mr. Drame also used the opportunity to thank and congratulate the President for his resounding second-term victory, saying that on behalf of the board of the company, they wished him a successful term in office. He thanked the President for his achievements in governance and assured him of their commitment to ensuring that they delivered on the government’s projects and agendas.
The CEO informed that since 2016 they had contributed positively to bring the best communication technology service delivery to Sierra Leone, adding that they would continue to provide high-speed internet with plans already complete to roll out their 5G campaign in the country.
He assured the President that they were driven by their ambitions to give social and financial support to Sierra Leoneans through supporting government programmes on education and healthcare.
In his response, President Julius Maada Bio welcomed the CEO and entourage and described Orange SONATEL Group as a major private-sector player requiring regular government engagement. He expressed how excited he was to receive the CEO and team’s confirmation of the data center in Bo City, noting that the government was optimistic that it would be positively utilised.
He assured that his government was committed to supporting Orange in terms of financial inclusion and to also ensuring that there was an open-door system for all investments in the country.
He thanked the company, on behalf of Sierra Leoneans, for their interventions in constructing pre-schools in some parts of the country, noting that “even though I was not fortunate to go to preschool, as the President who believes strongly in education, I am happy for Orange Sierra Leone’s intervention in supporting education, which is the most valuable investment in the world”.
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