• Liberia and Sierra Leone began free roaming this week

• Côte d’Ivoire–Liberia agreement expected to follow

• Move aligns with ECOWAS goal for regional digital integration

Free roaming between West African countries is being promoted by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire were the first to implement it in 2023.

Liberia and Sierra Leone are launching free roaming this week, abolishing the additional charges applied to nationals of both countries for receiving calls when traveling across borders. A memorandum of understanding is also expected between Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire for the implementation of this mechanism, notably planned by ECOWAS and seen as a lever for economic and digital integration in West Africa.

These advances were announced by the Liberian Telecommunications Authority (LTA) on Sunday August 3. They come some six months after the signing of similar agreements between Liberia and Sierra Leone on the one hand, and between Liberia and Gambia on the other. The implementations were originally scheduled for May 2 and July 1, respectively.

"These agreements allow citizens to communicate freely when traveling, eliminating high roaming charges and the need for multiple SIM cards. It's a catalyst for economic cooperation and better mobility," said Abdullah L. Kamara, then acting president of the LTA.

Momentum around regional roaming is building in West Africa. Last April, Togo and Burkina Faso agreed to activate free roaming by May 30. By June 2023, Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire had become the first countries to implement free roaming. From October 2024, Ghana also extended the service to Benin and Togo. Benin and Togo, for their part, have set January 1, 2024 as the effective start date for the agreement signed on October 18, 2023. A protocol signed on November 19, 2024 between Ghana and The Gambia provides for entry into force in the first half of 2025.

In November 2024, the member countries of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), former members of ECOWAS, signed an agreement to implement free roaming by December 31, 2024. To date, no update has been provided on its actual implementation. However, Mali initiated discussions with Benin and Togo back in December 2023, with a target implementation date of February 29, 2024. Togo is also exploring cooperation with Niger, including free roaming. Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso signed a memorandum of understanding in October 2023 for implementation by December 15 of the same year.

It should be remembered, however, that the implementation of free roaming between Liberia and Sierra Leone will not necessarily result in an automatic reduction in costs for users. The actual impact will depend on a number of factors, such as interconnection agreements between operators, call termination costs and the pricing policies applied. At sub-regional level, the expected impact on economic and digital integration remains conditional on the resolution of persistent challenges. Fragmentation of implementation, the absence of direct links between certain operators, the still high level of termination rates and the persistence of fraudulent practices are holding back harmonization.

This article was initially reported in French by Isaac K. Kassouwi

Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho