SIERRA LEONE · DIGITAL RIGHTS
Key Facts
- What is happening Sierra Leone’s telecom regulator received airwave-monitoring equipment on Wednesday 28 October, and a lawyer has warned it could be used for surveillance.
- Why it matters A donor-funded tool arrives where, the lawyer says, no data-protection law is in force, which tests Western donors and tech suppliers.
- The numbers The World Bank project behind the equipment is worth US$50 million, was approved on 22 July 2022 and closes on 30 September 2027.
- Who is who NatCA, the National Communications Authority, regulates telecoms; Amara Brewah runs it, and Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara is the lawyer.
- What to watch Whether the government adopts the data-protection law and warrant rules the lawyer demands before the equipment is used in the field.
- What it means for you Donors and tech firms working with Sierra Leone should ask for written limits on how monitoring tools are used.
Sierra Leone has new tools to find unlicensed radio signals. A lawyer says the same tools could be turned on critics.
Sierra Leone’s telecom regulator received airwave-monitoring equipment on Wednesday 28 October, and a lawyer has warned it could enable surveillance. The regulator says the tools will cut interference, catch unlicensed transmitters and improve phone service.
For US readers, the issue is a World Bank-funded tool entering a young democracy where, the lawyer says, privacy law is thin. Sierra Leone is a West African country of about 8.8 million people that ended a civil war in 2002.
In Plain English
- —Spectrum The range of radio frequencies used by phones, radio, television, aircraft and the police.
- —Spectrum monitoring Equipment that scans those frequencies to find who is transmitting and whether they are licensed.
- —Direction finder A device that works out where a radio signal comes from.
- —NatCA The National Communications Authority, Sierra Leone’s telecom regulator.
What Was Handed Over
The handover took place on Wednesday 28 October at NatCA Tower in Freetown, under the World Bank-funded Sierra Leone Digital Transformation Project. Chief Minister David Moinina Sengeh gave the keynote, and Communications Minister Salima Monorma Bah attended.
Officials said the equipment includes a mobile spectrum-monitoring system and drive-test kits that measure call and internet quality. NatCA says it will detect unauthorised transmissions and independently check how well operators perform.
NatCA Director General Amara Brewah said success depends on how well the equipment is used and on measurable gains for consumers. He did not address privacy in the remarks checked.
The Lawyer’s Warning
Lawyer Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara argued in an opinion piece on 3 November that a mobile spectrum monitor is also a direction finder. He wrote that it can locate transmitters, and so broadcasters, sources and critics.
Kamara says the real risk lies in the law around the equipment, not the machine. He wrote that Sierra Leone has no comprehensive data-protection law in force and no independent privacy regulator.
He says the Cyber Security and Crime Act 2021 already allows real-time data collection and interception and has been used against journalists. He also cites a 2025 security law that, in his reading, puts surveillance powers under presidential authority with weak court checks.
His proposals are to pass the Data Protection Bill, create an independent regulator and require judicial warrants. He also wants parliamentary oversight with access to audit logs, and donor support made conditional on those safeguards.
The World Bank Link
The Sierra Leone Digital Transformation Project is a US$50 million World Bank programme. It was approved on 22 July 2022, closes on 30 September 2027, and aims to widen broadband, digital skills and digital government.
The project abstract we read does not mention surveillance, and we found no World Bank statement on the monitoring equipment. Our guide to the Sierra Leone IMF programme shows how much the country relies on outside lenders.
What It Means for You
Western donors and tech suppliers should ask for written limits on how signal-locating tools are used. Firms that sell such gear into fragile democracies face reputational risk if it is later turned on critics.
Travellers and residents will see no change at the airport or on phones. Our guide to Sierra Leone entry rules for US travellers covers what to know before a trip.
What Is Not Known
We found no reply from the government or NatCA to the privacy warning. The vendor and the cost of the equipment are not public.
We could not independently verify the lawyer’s claims about Sierra Leone’s laws, which are his reading. It is also unknown whether the equipment has been switched on for field use.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a spectrum monitoring system?
It is equipment that scans radio frequencies to find who is transmitting and whether they are licensed. It can also measure phone and internet quality.
Who paid for Sierra Leone’s equipment?
It came under the Sierra Leone Digital Transformation Project, a US$50 million programme financed by the World Bank. The Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation implements it.
Why do some people fear surveillance?
A lawyer argues that a mobile spectrum monitor can also locate transmitters, and so journalists and critics. He says weak privacy law leaves little protection.
Has the government answered the criticism?
We found no official reply. The regulator says the equipment will cut interference and improve service quality.
What does the regulator say the tools are for?
NatCA says they will detect unauthorised transmissions and investigate interference. It also plans to check operators’ service independently.
Sources: World Bank, Sierra Leone Digital Transformation Project (P177077), project record; World Bank, project search record for P177077, approval and closing dates; National Communications Authority of Sierra Leone, official site; World Bank, Sierra Leone population indicator, 2025 (the handover details and the lawyer’s opinion piece of 3 November are described in the text; accessed 4 November 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief