By Foday Moriba Conteh
Aminata Kane, the erudite and affable Chief Executive Officer of one of the foremost telecommunications company that is impressively operating in the country, Orange Sierra Leone, recently took students of the Engineering Department at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, through the concepts, theories and practices of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Entrepreneurship and Innovation under the topic: “Private Sector and Start-ups in the World and in Sierra Leone: How the Private Sector is Solving Critical and High Impact Societal Challenges?”
The Orange-SL Chief Executive Officer succinctly delved into the various aspects of the topic in a manner which was commendably good, holding the students very attentive as they imbibed new ideas. Hers was an interactive session with the students who were very excited to draw from her wealth of knowledge and happy to have a rapport with her. The course was facilitated by the Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Dr David Moinina Sengeh.
Upon satisfactory completion of her delivery, according to the students they were able to:
Know the wider trends in technology and innovation particularly as related to the fourth industrial revolution from a theoretical and practical point of view
Appreciate and understand the mindset of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship including idea development, raising capital and collaboration.
Develop fundamental critical thinking, entrepreneurial thinking and problem-solving skills.
Know the processes of starting up and financing businesses and enterprises in Sierra Leone.
The charismatic CEO in expressing how she felt interacting with the students said it was indeed a great encounter as the student used the opportunity to ask pertinent questions bordering on the (still perceived too high) prices of telecoms, the cost of digitalization, how to have long lasting impact, supporting entrepreneurs at every step of the way, and how big companies can try and fail when it comes to innovation.
She also profoundly thanked Dr. David Moinina Sengeh for inviting her as a guest lecturer saying she really had a blast and informed the Chief Innovator that next time they will do a joint lecture on Tech, Fashion and Music.
