Kigali, Rwanda, 27th October 2025– Mr. Amara Brewah, Director General of Sierra Leone’s National Communications Authority (NatCA), delivered a transformative keynote address at the Ministerial Programme of MWC25 Kigali, urging African leaders to embrace inclusive spectrum policies as a catalyst for digital empowerment and equitable development.
Speaking to a distinguished audience of ministers, regulators, industry leaders, and development partners at the Kigali Convention Center, Mr. Brewah’s address, titled “Empowering Africa Through Inclusive Spectrum Policies”, was described by attendees as a defining moment in the continent’s connectivity agenda.
“Spectrum may be invisible,” Brewah declared, “but its impact is everywhere. It powers our phones, our radios, our emergency services, our schools, our hospitals, our economies.” He framed spectrum not as a technical commodity, but as a moral and economic imperative—arguing that every African, whether in a capital city or rural village, deserves access to signal, voice, and opportunity.
Mr. Brewah outlined a bold policy framework to guide spectrum reform across Africa: Transparent licensing to attract investment, Fair pricing to support rural rollout, Coverage-based incentives over revenue-driven models and Innovation-friendly policies to empower small players and communities
“Every connected village means hope restored,” he said, urging governments to treat spectrum as a development tool rather than a revenue stream.
Using vivid examples, a farmer in Kambia checking market prices, a nurse consulting a doctor remotely, a student attending online classes, Brewah illustrated how connectivity transforms lives. “Connectivity turns isolation into inclusion. It turns potential into prosperity. It turns inequality into empowerment.”
He emphasized that the “last mile” must receive the same quality of connection as the first, calling for predictable policies, infrastructure sharing, and simplified approvals.
Under Brewah’s leadership, NatCA Sierra Leone has emerged as a regional model for progressive spectrum management. Key achievements include: Modernizing spectrum frameworks to be transparent and inclusive, reviewing fees to attract investment, promoting infrastructure sharing and regional collaboration with WATRA, ATU, and ITU and Expanding rural coverage through NGSO satellite frameworks
“Our goal is simple,” Brewah said. “To make Sierra Leone a country where no community is left offline, and where connectivity is treated not as a luxury, but as a right.”
The keynote concluded with a personal story of Aminata, a young girl in rural Sierra Leone who studies by torchlight and dreams of becoming a nurse. Her access to online learning, Brewah said, symbolizes the human impact of digital equity. “It’s not about megahertz, it’s about hope. Hope made visible through connectivity.”
Brewah noted that, “Spectrum is not just a technical resource. It is a human resource. It carries the voices of our people, the ideas of our youth, and the dreams of our future.
