Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone Move to Slash Roaming Costs

The National Communications Authority (NCA) is hosting a high-level tripartite ECOWAS roaming meeting in Accra, bringing together regulators and telecom operators from Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone to accelerate efforts toward seamless and affordable cross-border communication.

The four-day meeting, taking place from April 27 to 30 at the NCA Tower, is aimed at advancing the implementation of the ECOWAS Free Roaming Initiative and finalising bilateral Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) expected to significantly reduce roaming charges across the three countries.

In his welcome address, the Deputy Director General for Technical Operations at the NCA, Suleman Salifu, described the engagement as a pivotal step in consolidating progress made through earlier bilateral discussions and technical collaborations.

He emphasised that the success of the initiative hinges on strong cooperation between regulators and mobile network operators, guided by transparency, sustainability, and mutual benefit.

Mr Salifu further noted that the meeting comes at a critical time, following the recent review of the ECOWAS Roaming Regulations, which has provided key insights to refine the framework and ensure it remains practical and responsive to evolving market dynamics.

Delivering remarks on behalf of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority, its Chairman, Clarence K. Massaquoi, commended the NCA for hosting the talks and reaffirmed Liberia’s commitment to regional integration through free roaming.

 

He highlighted that the initiative would make it easier for citizens to communicate, travel, and do business across borders by eliminating the burden of high roaming charges.

Also addressing the meeting, Musa Jalloh, Deputy Director for Regulatory Administration, speaking on behalf of the National Communications Authority of Sierra Leone, described the engagement as a strategic milestone toward building a digitally connected ECOWAS region.

He stressed that affordable and seamless communication is critical for trade, education, mobility, and inclusive growth, adding that regional integration must be supported by harmonised regulatory frameworks and digital systems.

Drawing lessons from the East African “One Network Area” initiative introduced in 2014, Mr Jalloh urged stakeholders to demonstrate urgency, stronger coordination, and faster decision-making to ensure the timely rollout of the free-roaming framework.

He also called for the harmonisation of short codes across the ECOWAS bloc, noting that such measures would enhance user experience and drive adoption of cross-border services.

The meeting underscores the shared commitment of the three countries to deepen regional cooperation and build a more connected and digitally inclusive ECOWAS sub-region.

Deliberations are focused on aligning implementation strategies, resolving technical and operational challenges, and strengthening collaboration among stakeholders. The engagement is expected to culminate in the signing of key MoUs on the final day—marking a major step toward reducing roaming costs and improving connectivity across borders.