Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. As part of its continued drive to promote women’s digital empowerment in Sierra Leone, Orange Foundation, in partnership with the National Youth Commission (NaYCom), has officially commissioned the fourth Orange Women’s Digital Center in Port Loko on Thursday, 30th October 2025.
Located at 20 Falaba Road, the center was fully refurbished and equipped with state-of-the-art technology to bridge the digital divide and equip women and girls with essential ICT and entrepreneurial skills for the modern economy.
Welcoming guests to the commissioning, Alie Badara Kamara, representative of the Regent Chief of Maforki Chiefdom, commended Orange Foundation for bringing such an initiative to Port Loko. He assured that the local authorities will monitor and support the center’s operations to ensure it meets its purpose of empowering women.
He encouraged women in the district to seize the opportunity to learn digital skills that will benefit them and their communities.
In his address, Sekou Amadu Bah, Chief Executive Officer of Orange Sierra Leone, described the launch as “a celebration of opportunity, empowerment, and transformation.” He said the center symbolizes more than infrastructure, serving instead as a “gateway to the digital world” and a “platform for human capital development.”
“Through this center, women will gain access to life skills and competency-based training that will empower them to become job-ready, self-employed, and eco-entrepreneurs driving innovation within their communities,” Bah stated.
He noted that through similar digital centers in Freetown, Kenema, and Makeni, Orange Foundation and NaYCom have already trained over 600 women in digital literacy, life skills, and entrepreneurship in the last three years. Many of these beneficiaries, he added, have gone on to start small businesses and contribute positively to their communities.
The Port Loko Women’s Digital Center, he said, is equipped with 10 laptops, 28 tablets, 28 earphones, a video projector with screen, a Raspberry Pi with power bank, a printer, and 100 USB drives for training participants.
Addressing the first batch of trainees, Bah encouraged them to take full advantage of the opportunity: “You are the trailblazers of a new era. Your participation marks the beginning of a movement that demonstrates what can be achieved when opportunity aligns with determination.”
He emphasized that the program is free of cost and urged women to embrace it wholeheartedly. “Our commitment to supporting women and girls is unwavering because we firmly believe that when you empower a woman, you empower a nation,” Bah affirmed.
The CEO praised NaYCom for being a “model partner,” describing their collaboration as a testament to effective public-private partnerships driving national development. Bah expressed hope that the Port Loko Women’s Digital Center would become a hub for innovation and transformation in the Northwest Region.
“Let us continue to build bridges, break barriers, and create spaces where every woman has the tools to thrive. Together, we rise. Together, we transform,” he concluded.
Joseph Maada Lahai, Commissioner of NaYCom, said the new digital center represents a key step in bridging gender gaps in digital literacy and advancing human capital development in Sierra Leone.
“Today, as we inaugurate the fourth Women’s Digital Center, we are not just cutting a ribbon we are cutting through barriers of inequality, unemployment, and digital exclusion,” he stated.
He noted that the initiative directly responds to findings from the Status of the Youth Report 2025, which revealed that over 68% of young people in Sierra Leone lack basic digital literacy, with young women being disproportionately affected. The establishment of the center, he explained, addresses this gap and supports the Medium-Term National Development Plan (2023–2030) and the National Youth Policy, both emphasizing youth empowerment through digital innovation.
“By empowering women with digital skills, we are strengthening the nation’s economic foundation,” Lahai added.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to digital inclusion, quoting President Julius Maada Bio’s mantra of “We will do, not just talk.” Lahai further announced that NaYCom would align all youth programs with Orange Foundation’s digital transformation model to ensure sustainability.
“Whether it is entrepreneurship training, job placement, or innovation hubs, digital literacy will be at the core. If it’s not digital, it’s not sustainable,” he emphasized.
He called on Orange Sierra Leone to replicate the model across other districts, including Bonthe, Kono, Kailahun, Moyamba, Falaba, and Kambia, so more women could benefit.
In his remarks, Ambassador Umaru B. Wurie, Resident Minister for the Northwest Region, lauded Orange Foundation and NaYCom for their efforts, describing the project as a strong complement to the government’s human capital development agenda. He encouraged women in Port Loko to utilize the center effectively to gain digital and entrepreneurial skills.
Also delivering her keynote address, Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie, Minister of Technical and Higher Education, congratulated Orange Foundation for what she termed a “bold investment in people” and praised NaYCom for being a “worthy implementing partner.”
“Today, we do more than open a building; we open doors to new skills, livelihoods, and opportunities for women and girls to take their rightful place in Sierra Leone’s digital future,” she said.
The Minister noted that the Port Loko Center follows successful ones in Freetown, Kenema, and Makeni, where over 600 women have benefited from training in digital literacy, life skills, and entrepreneurship. In 2024 alone, she said, hundreds of women were trained, with 47% female participation and 38% of graduates securing jobs or starting their own businesses.
“These are not just statistics,” Dr. Wurie emphasized. “They are stories of families supported and communities strengthened. When women gain skills and income, the benefits ripple outward.”
She added that the initiative aligns with President Bio’s Big Five Game Changers, particularly the pillars on Human Capital Development and Technology and Infrastructure.
However, the Minister cautioned that while training is crucial, it must be linked to real opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship.
“Training must be linked to local businesses so that learning leads to real opportunities,” she urged. “This is where partnership matters most.”
Dr. Wurie reaffirmed her ministry’s commitment to working with the private sector to integrate digital skills into Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programs and to connect women to apprenticeships, small and medium enterprises, and microfinance support.
She concluded by congratulating Orange Foundation, NaYCom, and the people of Port Loko for championing women’s inclusion and reaffirmed government’s readiness to support such initiatives.
“Together, we are shaping a Sierra Leone where digital inclusion is not a slogan but a lived reality,” she said. “Let this center be a launchpad for ambition, confidence, and leadership for generations of women to come.”
The ceremony concluded with the official commissioning of the facility by CEO Sekou Amadu Bah, Resident Minister Ambassador Umaru B. Wurie, and Minister Dr. Haja Ramatulai Wurie, followed by a guided tour of the center.
For More News And Analysis About Sierra-Leone Follow Africa-Press
