AYV Press Release
In a new development, the Africa Young Voices (AYV) on March, 22nd 2019 announced a new partnership with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the world service programme in London. This is the first AYV partnership with a global broadcaster in Sierra Leone.
‘’I feel extremely delighted. This is an historic moment. This new partnership harnesses our global reach and broadcasting capabilities to bring our audiences good content. We are happy for this partnership. It’s a win-win for both AYV and BBC. We look forward to a fruitful partnership with the BBC to bring good programmes to AYV,” said Anthony Navo, Founder and CEO of AYV.

‘’We are really privileged for extending your relationship with us. We are very proud of what we are offering Africa at the moment. We have made historic investment in increasing the amount of TV and radio programmes. I hope this will help solidify the relationship between the United Kingdom and Sierra Leone’’, said Jamie Angus, Director of BBC World Service.
AYV will be working with the BBC to promote media development in Sierra Leone. AYV is tapping the most powerful BBC platform and massive BBC World service programmes and newsgathering to create more programmes for audiences in Sierra Leone in a more creative and cutting-edge formats. The BBC has already begun production of programmes that will be aired on AYV, a new series of innovative and amazing programmes. The AYV and BBC partnership will initially deliver seven key programmes:
1. Sport Today
2. Focus on Africa
3. World Hacks
4. The Compass
5. Crowd Science
6. Health Check
7. BBC minutes (Pidgin)
The BBC Senior Business Development Manager for Southern and Western Africa, Steven Martin described the programme as ‘’first in Sierra Leone’’. He said: ‘’It means a really rich mix of new programme that will be available to listeners on AYV. I hope listeners will be tuning in regularly for sport and news, and for some really exciting programmes that we have recently introduced from the BBC. And for the first time listeners to AYV will be able to hear BBC minutes, in Pidgin language’’.
The BBC World Service will provide AYV current news and content that complement its global programmes in Africa. This partnership offers AYV a world-class broadcasting platform for its audiences. The BBC will support the development of new programmes and training for AYV as part of the new partnership. This is the first stage in a long-term mutually beneficial partnership involving the BBC and AYV, with the aim of supporting media development projects reflecting the special relationship between Sierra Leone and United Kingdom.

CEO Aminata Kane joins other global leaders in the world as leaders changing the future of work whilst pushing boundaries in their fields and beyond. This year’s group of Young Global Leaders is a dynamic community of people under the age of 40 who represent the best of their generation.

Ten African women and men make up the list of 127 of the world’s most promising social activists, business leaders, public servants, artists and technologists. They are all under the age of 40 and have been invited to join the World Economic Forum’s community of Young Global Leaders (YGLs). Some of the past Young Global Leaders include former UK Prime Minister, David Cameron; co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (Google) Larry Page; Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg; co-founder and Executive Chairman of the Alibaba Group, and others.

The new class for 2019 as announced features CEO Aminata Kane.
Accepting the recognition, Aminata Kane expressed her delight to be part of this class of Young Leaders/World Economic Forum, and to use the platform to enhance her work at Orange Sierra Leone. She remains focus on developing her people and using digital revolution to boost growth.

Her invitation to join other change-makers in the Forum of Young Global Leaders (YGL) came as no surprise to Orange. She is an individual committed to changing the narrative of the participation of women in a highly male dominated Telecommunications Sector, being the first female CEO of a mobile company in Sierra Leone.
Aminata’ s recognition in the digital revolution extends to the United Nations where she recently delivered a talk at the United Nations General Assembly in New York as part of the GSMA events. Her talk was focused on mobile development, big data, social and financial inclusions.
Recently, Institut Choiseul (Choiseul Institute) named her amongst the top 100 African Business Leaders of Tomorrow for her work and contribution to Africa, leveraging technology to accelerate development & growth.

Aminata Kane is Chief Executive Officer of Orange SL, driving the operations of the telecommunications giant with more than 2 Million subscribers.
Prior to this appointment, she was the Chief Marketing Officer for Orange Money in Senegal, a business that has grown exponentially and become profitable in the past two years.

She began her career as a Strategy Consultant with McKinsey & Company in France, designing strategies and operations for telecommunication and technology providers, banks, and consumer goods manufacturers in Europe and West Africa from 2009 to 2011.
Originally from Senegal, Mrs. Ndiaye holds a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in Management from HEC Paris Grande Ecole, coupled with an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan School of Management, during which she was appointed President of the Africa Business Club.

In continuation of its sponsorship of Sierra Leone’s 2019 Premier League, the country’s leading Telecommunications Company, Africell, on Friday 22nd March 2019, officially signed an MOU with the Diamond Stars Football Club to carry its brand on its jerseys. This event marks the 5th signing with clubs in the on-going 2019 Premier League.
Present at the ceremony were the Team Manager of the Diamond Stars FC, Adam Tommy, Vice Chairman, Mark Yambasu, Secretary General of the FC Sahr Ezra Kellie, Africell’s Nancy L. Joseph, Manager of AfriRadio, John Konte and members of the press.
In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the meeting, Abdul Karim of AfriRadio, said that Africell’s support to the development of young people in the country is unbelievable. It has been engaged in the promotion of young talents in the country and the meeting is a testimony of this commitment on the part of the company to continue to promote youths. He stressed that it is the first time in the history of telecommunication that a company has embarked on technical and financial support to clubs in the premier league, adding that this is due to the belief that the company has in the youths of the country. He also disclosed that Africell, in collaboration with the Sierra Leone Premier League Board, have ensured the revamping of the league, which is on-going in the country.
Speaking on behalf of Africell, the manager of AfriRadio, John Konte, told the audience that Africell is here to stay. The company, he maintained, is committed to promote and showcase the talents of youths in the country, adding that Africell has been sponsoring various youths in various spheres. Starting with Music, Africell has signed several artists as Brand Ambassadors and also artists in other sectors in the entertainment industry.
After the Ebola, he disclosed, the company noticed that the entertainment industry, especially music had dropped and cognizant of the fact that Sierra Leoneans love music, they came on board to revamp the music industry and today Sierra Leonean music is heard everywhere in the country and beyond. It is the avowed aim of the company to come close to anything that Sierra Leoneans love that has prompted their involvement in the on-going premier league. It goes without saying that the population love music and football; with the latter being almost like a religion. Sierra Leoneans, he maintained, follow football with their hearts and resources and in order to bring them closer, Africell has embraced what they love; football.
John Konte further stated that 4 Premier League football teams have been sponsored and MOUs signed, namely: East End Lion FC, Bo Rangers FC, Old Edwardians FC and Mighty Black Pool FC.
He recalled February during a similar signing ceremony pointing out that this is not the end as Africell will embrace more Premier League Clubs and this event is a testimony of this commitment. John Konte then announced the sponsorship of the Diamond Stars FC of Kono, which will entail an undisclosed amount of cash plus 2 sets of jerseys to the team. He recognised that the team wears its traditional yellow and black in its home encounters, Green and white on its away matches.
The jerseys whilst having the club’s colours will have the names and numbers of the players on it and the club’s logo plus an Africell logo. This will further bring the supporters and the people of Kono closer, especially as the company has a huge subscriber base in the district. This move is to keep Africell in the centre of what the people love. The company is not interested in what the club makes financially, only that it should fly its logo in every encounter to buttress the point that the company is at the centre of what the people love. John Konte further stated that this signing is not the end, more clubs will be sponsored, as it is the avowed aim of the company to promote football and empower the youths.
Adam Tommy, Team Manager of Diamond Stars FC and former player in the national Team (the finest right-back that the Leone Stars has ever produced), expressed appreciation to the company for this kind gesture, adding that Africell occupies the physical space and has done a lot to develop the game and bring people together. On their part they are ready to do all that it takes to promote the game and the company. He admonished Africell to engage other clubs in the Premier League. He also sent a message to other teams that when sponsored, they should endeavor to fly the company’s logo high and maintain the ideals of fair play and good sportsmanship. The jerseys, he went on, will be replicated with the company’s logo during the course of the league. He praised Africell for coming on board to help the government in the development of football in the country, as it not only provides entertainment for the public, but creates job opportunities for the players.
Vice Chairman of the team, Mark Yambasu and Secretary General Sahr Ezra Kellie, shared similar sentiments, adding that Africell made no mistake in choosing them, especially as the subscriber base in Kono is huge and with the logo on their jerseys, supporters of the club will feel part of the company.
The ceremony was climaxed by the signing of the MOU between the club and Africell officials. The vote of thanks was given by Nancy L Joseph of Africell.

Nobody can contest the indisputable fact that the National Petroleum (NP) Sierra Leone Limited is a success story being a formidable business entity that is greatly contributing to overall national development. It is one of the buoyant business entities that is completely owned by Sierra Leoneans having no foreigner or politician as shareholder which makes it purely an indigenous company, From its humble beginning in this country, NP can now boast of having branches in Liberia, Ivory and other parts in the West African sub-region. The company has demonstrated to the world that indeed Sierra Leoneans can be efficient entrepreneurs as well as sending the message that this country is a safe haven for investment,
The number of jobs and taxes that NP has offered and is paying has helped and still continues to help to make development interventions more possible, When we talk of poverty reduction and improving standards of living then the company has been helping directly and indirectly in those directions,
There is no doubt that human existence could not really be comfortable in the absence of petroleum products. We need fuel to run our vehicles, our generators, there is need for gas to be utilized for cooking purposes, kerosene is used for different purposes, NP SL Ltd is a leading entity that makes easy accessibility to these various petroleum products possible, Management of the company always ensures that these products are readily available in order to prevent occurrence of shortage. The company really deserves a pat on the back when cognizance is taken of the fact that it is customer friendly as it is a cardinal part of their mantra is optimizing customer satisfaction,
Talking with a University of Sierra Leone Economics Lecturer , he noted that because of the selflessness and commitment of those who opted to buy the company when the Government decided to sell it 23 years ago, NP has been able to empower more than 350,000 Sierra Leoneans, build 38 stations countrywide as part of the many accomplishments it has registered.
One unique thing about the company is that it is very innovative and matching with latest technology and devices .This characteristic is very evident in NP making use of latest transparent pumping machines, smart cards to purchase fuel, making it convenient for consumers as well as having sound tankers that transport fuel to different parts of the country.
|” I am very proud of the National Petroleum Company because it is offering a lot in terms of development, making this country very much attractive,” a Development Consultant remarked adding that most should borrow a leaf from the entity,
Certain customers interviewed at a particular Filling station intimated that availing customers the opportunity to purchase basic items in their mini marts is making life comfortable as it minimizes hassling to go so in trying to access shops especially when cognizance is taken of the fact that most times there is overcrowding in town and parking spaces are limited.
Starting as a small entity and through effective management the National Petroleum Company is growing by leaps and bounds with presence in other parts of West Africa making Sierra Leone standing tall, This a clear testimony of dogged commitment and steadfastness showing that success can be achieved through selflessness.

Statistically, it has been established that there is an estimated 2.1 billion people who lack access to safe water and have the ability to pay for safe water.
The Sierra Leone Brewery as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility to the Wellington community where it operates has done so for communities including the Peacock Farm community which has been a great help to women and children.
Gender mainstreaming in the water sector could help to fix water issues and address the lack of gender parity. Empowering women to participate requires specific actions to reform policy, build capacity and fund these initiatives.
It is important for stakeholders and particularly policy makers, Government, multilaterals and other funders to invest in women by addressing the societal reforms needed — investing in training and capacity-building programs for women, providing equal access to resources, and supporting the continued building of an evidence base to look at water more directly and closely through the gender lens. When such actions are taken there is the possibility to realize an equitable solution to one of the most pressing global issues of our time.
Expanding safe water and women’s participation in its provision through small water enterprises — businesses that provide safe, reliable, affordable water to communities in need — increases economic opportunity for women, benefits communities and contributes to the health and well-being of families which is exactly what the Sierra Leone Brewery Limited has been doing .
Water scarcity poses ‘fundamental risk to stability,’ new report finds. Water scarcity can for example strain food production systems. When affordable and safe water supply exists in a community, women and girls have more time to engage in other activities, including education and employment. It opens avenues for greater income generation and a better quality of life, including better health and nutrition.
It takes an innovative corporate social responsibility initiative, combined with support from the proactive local administration, to enable women to be in charge of their own access to safe, affordable water.
Brewery’s provision of safe water to communities have greatly helped to reduce typhoid and other water-related diseases., less spending on medical expenses, overall improved health, more income saved for the family, improved quality of family life, more time for other household activities, improved financial situation at home, and improved life for the community. With the clean water provided by Brewery, the results are further amplified — with economic and societal benefits to families and communities where Brewery has extended the service to.
The solution to the water crisis in the Western Area and the entire country is not simple and along with the potential benefits, there are also challenges. Small water enterprises can play a significant role in improving women’s lives, but women have not been sufficiently “mainstreamed” in the water sector.
General, the challenges of safe water are nothing new to women around the world, particularly those in low- and middle-income countries. Women and girls disproportionately bear the burden of caring for their families and collecting water. In households without access to water on premises, women are responsible for 80 percent of water collection. Globally, women spend 200 million hours every day collecting water.
We know that women-owned SMEs face unique and significant hurdles in starting and growing their businesses across much of the world. Women are often shut out by financial institutions. Unfavourable business and regulatory environments, along with a lack of networks, knowledge, and links to high-value markets, further constrain female entrepreneurship.
More evidence is needed to understand the difficulties and challenges that women face with small water enterprises. However, it is known that these include cultural constraints, lack of role models, limited access to information and resources and a lack of training and technical skills.
Contributing positively to improve standards of living forms part of Brewery’s Corporate Social Responsibility and it is doing so commendably.