Orange Champions Tech Innovation in Sierra Leone
By Mackie M. Jalloh
In a country where access to technology and innovation is fast becoming a gateway to sustainable development, Orange Sierra Leone has taken a major step toward shaping the future of digital entrepreneurship. Through its flagship innovation platform—the Orange Social Venture Prize (OSVP)—the company is investing in more than just ideas; it’s building an ecosystem of problem-solvers and change-makers who are redefining how technology can serve real-life challenges across Sierra Leone.
On July 25, 2025, at the Orange Digital Centre on Hill Station in Freetown, the 7th Edition of the OSVP concluded with remarkable energy, as eight national finalists—selected from hundreds of applicants—pitched transformative digital solutions designed to address education access, healthcare delivery, business management, and financial inclusion.
Unlike previous editions, this year’s OSVP placed a stronger emphasis on innovation tailored to grassroots impact, with special attention to gender inclusion, youth empowerment, and national development priorities. The pitch session, held in front of a high-profile audience of tech experts, entrepreneurs, government officials, and development partners, awarded more than NLe 300,000 in cash prizes to the top innovators.
The biggest accolade of the evening went to Edward Kamara, founder of MiBuks, who claimed the National Prize Winner title and walked away with NLe 200,000. MiBuks is a digital platform developed to support Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in tracking sales, expenses, inventory, and generating invoices—all through a simple mobile interface. The platform also helps entrepreneurs build a digital credit profile based on their transaction history, a critical step toward financial inclusion in a country where many small business owners operate informally and without access to traditional banking systems.
In a powerful moment of inspiration for young women in tech, Richlyn Kainekay Turay, representing Smart College, earned the Tech Queen Female Category Prize, receiving NLe 120,000. Her solution aims to digitize access to higher education services, streamlining application processes, academic records, and communication between students and institutions. Smart College’s inclusive approach is already gaining traction for its potential to improve accessibility in a system often burdened by inefficiencies and exclusion.
In his keynote address, Sekou Amadou Bah, Chief Executive Officer of Orange Sierra Leone, reaffirmed the company’s commitment to inclusive innovation as a cornerstone of national development. “OSVP is not a corporate showcase. It is a deliberate platform to empower Sierra Leone’s digital builders,” he said. “Since 2019, we have used this prize to connect our youth with funding, mentorship, and tools to scale their ideas.”
He stressed that Orange’s mission goes beyond telecommunications—it’s about being a transformative force for inclusion and empowerment. He cited the growing reach of Orange Digital Centers (ODCs) across the country, with six now operational and three exclusively focused on empowering women.
“In just three years, we have trained over 5,000 young Sierra Leoneans—47% of them women—with 15% moving into jobs or launching ventures. That is impact, and that is how we build a resilient digital economy,” Sekou noted.
Representing the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Fredrick Hans Ampiah, Resident Representative, praised Orange for its leadership in creating spaces for grassroots innovation. Reflecting on past experiences in Ghana, Ampiah urged Sierra Leone to embrace structural reforms that position its tech ecosystem for regional and global competitiveness.
“We need incubators, investor networks, and bold policy frameworks to support our startups—not just competitions,” he said. “Sierra Leone must see its small market size as a sandbox for scalable, exportable solutions.”
He echoed calls for a stronger public-private partnership model and emphasized that sustainable innovation must be tied to national development strategies, not short-term programming.
Delivering a forward-looking speech, Minister of Communication, Technology, and Innovation, Salima Bah, acknowledged the progress Sierra Leone has made since 2018 in laying a foundation for innovation. She noted that back then, there was no national innovation policy. Today, the country has digital hubs, government-backed accelerators, and a growing tech-savvy youth population.
“The idea of ‘Country as a Lab’ is no longer just talk,” she said. “Our small size is our strength—it allows us to pilot solutions, test them fast, and scale what works.”
Minister Bah also announced the upcoming launch of national consultations for a Startup Act—a new legal framework tailored to meet the specific needs of early-stage innovators. “Startups are not SMEs,” she emphasized. “They require agile policies, not outdated regulations. This act will be built with the ecosystem, for the ecosystem.”
Both winners delivered emotional speeches, underscoring the real-world challenges and aspirations that inspired their solutions.
Edward Kamara called the award “a validation of our mission to digitize and uplift MSMEs across Africa.” He dedicated the prize to entrepreneurs still managing records manually, struggling to access finance. “MiBuks was created for you, and this win is yours,” he said.
For Richlyn Kainekay Turay, the recognition carried even more weight. “This win is for every young girl who dreams of building tech solutions. Smart College is proof that gender is no barrier to innovation.”
As the curtains closed on OSVP 2025, it was clear that Sierra Leone’s innovation scene is not just growing—it’s evolving. With strong support from the private sector, government, and development agencies, the country is nurturing a generation of tech-savvy entrepreneurs ready to solve Africa’s toughest challenges with homegrown solutions.
Orange Sierra Leone’s continued investment in platforms like OSVP is doing more than giving out prizes—it is shaping the country’s digital future, one idea at a time.
