By Saidu Jalloh, Reporter D.S
Liberia and The Gambia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to implement the ECOWAS Regulation on Roaming for public mobile networks. This initiative aims to provide free incoming calls and significantly reduce costs for outgoing calls, SMS, and data for travelers between the two nations.
The signing ceremony took place at Mamba Point, Lagoonda Resort in Freetown, with representatives from the West African Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA), the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), the National Telecommunications Commission (NATCA), and key mobile network operators like Orange and Qcell in attendance.
WATRA Executive Secretary Aliyu Yusuf Aboki, participating via Zoom from Nigeria, emphasized the agreement’s potential to foster economic growth and digital transformation within the ECOWAS region. NATCA Director General Amara Brewah stressed the importance of ongoing collaboration among regulators, mobile operators, and policymakers to ensure effective implementation.
The agreement is set to take effect on May 2, 2025, allowing travelers from Liberia to enjoy free incoming calls and local rates for outgoing communications. Travelers from The Gambia will benefit from these services starting July 1, 2025.
This initiative builds on the Abidjan Protocol, which initially aimed for ECOWAS-wide free roaming but encountered implementation challenges. In response, regulators are now pursuing bilateral and multilateral agreements, which have proven to be more effective. LTA Chairman Abdullah L. Kamara announced that Liberia is also in discussions with Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, and Benin to further expand the initiative by the end of 2025.
Stakeholders are aware that successful implementation will require technical readiness, regulatory cooperation, and continuous dialogue between governments and mobile operators.
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