Lagoonda: Welcoming ministers and delegates to the 20th ECOWAS Ministerial Meeting on Telecommunications, ICT, and Digitalisation in Lagoonda, Sierra Leone’s Vice President, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, issued a firm call for regional cooperation to yield tangible benefits for citizens. Speaking on behalf of President Julius Maada Bio, he conveyed gratitude to attendees while emphasizing that digital transformation must drive job creation, expand opportunity, and elevate everyday life across West Africa.
According to Sierra Leone News Agency, the Vice President urged movement toward a unified digital market, cautioning that fragmented systems and disparate policies continue to stifle growth and inflate business costs. In an evolving global economy, he noted, stronger regional integration has shifted from an option to an imperative for securing economic stability and shared prosperity.
Jalloh pressed ministers to move beyond policy discourse toward concrete implementation, insisting that meaningful progress be measured by real-world impact on people and commerce. While acknowledging Sierra Leone’s advancements in digital transformation and cybersecurity, he stressed that lasting results hinge on collective regional effort, calling on member states to collaborate in unlocking opportunities for citizens throughout ECOWAS.
Delivering remarks, Minister of Communications, Technology, and Innovation, Madam Salima Monorma Bah, commended technical experts for establishing a robust foundation and urged ministers to concentrate on executing agreed frameworks. She observed that despite expanded investments and regional structures in cybersecurity, data protection, and e-government, significant gaps in interoperability and cross-border functionality persist. Divergent systems and regulatory regimes, she explained, continue to hinder digital payments, services, and business expansion beyond national borders.
The Minister identified coordination, trust, and practical execution as essential for the next phase of advancement, warning that emerging challenges such as artificial intelligence and misinformation demand coordinated regional responses to safeguard a secure, functional digital ecosystem.
ECOWAS Commissioner Dr. Habibu Bappah, speaking on behalf of the Commission President, commended Sierra Leone’s dedication to regional integration and described the gathering as a reflection of shared commitment to forging a unified digital market. He noted steady progress since 2024, marked by strengthened cybersecurity collaboration, roaming agreements, and a regional e-government strategy aimed at enhancing cross-border services. The Commissioner urged ministers to endorse key meeting outcomes, emphasizing that sustained coordination and implementation remain vital to establishing a secure, competitive, and integrated digital landscape for West Africa.