Africell Boosts SLBC with Modern Studio After Fire Incident

In a significant step toward revitalizing Sierra Leone’s national broadcaster, the Chief Executive Officer of Africell Sierra Leone, Shadi Gerjawi, has officially handed over a newly constructed and fully branded broadcasting studio to the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC).

The handover ceremony, held at SLBC headquarters in Freetown, comes at a critical time for the state broadcaster, which has been facing severe infrastructural challenges. These difficulties were recently intensified by a devastating fire on April 8, 2026, which destroyed key equipment and leveled the office of the Deputy Director General of SLBC TV.

The donation by Africell is being viewed not only as a corporate social responsibility initiative but also as a strategic contribution aligned with the government’s broader institutional reform agenda. In February 2026, the Public Sector Reform Unit (PSRU) published a comprehensive Management and Functional Review of SLBC. The review linked to Recommendation 77 of the Tripartite Agreement aims to transform the broadcaster into a modern, independent, and technologically advanced public institution.

Before the intervention, SLBC’s newsroom reportedly struggled with limited resources, operating with only two functional computers serving more than 20 reporters. The newly donated studio is equipped with modern digital broadcasting technology and enhanced branding, designed to meet international standards and significantly improve production capacity.

Speaking during the ceremony, Africell CEO Shadi Gerjawi reaffirmed the company’s commitment to supporting the growth and development of media in Sierra Leone, highlighting the importance of a strong and functional public broadcaster in promoting national development.

While the new facility has been described by observers as a “rare bright spot” for the institution, experts caution that infrastructural improvements must be complemented by the implementation of administrative and governance reforms outlined in the PSRU report to ensure long-term sustainability.

For now, the state-of-the-art studio provides SLBC with much-needed operational capacity, enabling it to continue delivering timely and reliable information to the public during a period of ongoing national transition.