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Claim: Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Information and Civic Education (MoICE) — via its official Facebook page, claimed that Sierra Leone has launched West Africa’s ‘first’ 5G mobile service provider — One Mobile Network.

Verdict: False. DUBAWA’s investigation result indicates that Sierra Leone is not the first West African nation to launch a “standalone 5G mobile service network.” Togo and Ghana have since launched 5G mobile networks, preceded by Sierra Leone.

Full Text 

Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Information and Civic Education (MoICE) via its official Facebook page, asserted that Sierra Leone is the ‘first’ West African nation to launch a “standalone 5G Mobile service provider – One Mobile” for its citizens. 

Acknowledged as a significant internet development for the country, most Sierra Leoneans have since expressed skepticism over the quality of the acclaimed 5G mobile network launched by the country’s Ministry of Information and Civic Education (MoICE) in June this year (2025). 

The message on the Ministry’s Facebook page reads,

“The launch of Sierra Leone’s and West Africa’s first 5G standalone mobile service provider, One Mobile.  We are positioning the nation at the forefront of regional digital transformation.”

Hence, the post strongly indicated that Sierra Leone has become the first West African state to deploy a “5G mobile network or technology” ahead of its counterparts, including Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Ivory Coast, Guinea, and Liberia.

Comments by some Facebook users

Comments by some Facebook users on the ministry’s page regarding the tech development have been mixed. Some expressed feelings concerning the launch of Sierra Leone’s and West Africa’s first-ever “5G mobile service provider.”

Sahr Matturi 

“Yeah. Sierra Leone is now a member of a nation with very fast internet services. 5G technology facilitates the rapid downloading and uploading of data. It provides notably quicker connection speeds. Kudos to the Julius Maada Bio administration and One Mobile!” 

John Abdulai 

“Congratulations, one mobile. This is the way to go.” 

Despite the commendations heaped on the government for introducing a “5G mobile network or internet” for citizens, many commentators viewed the development as a ‘cosmetic internet development.’

Here are a few of the comments:

Bangura Mohamed Lamin

“Wuna make leh D 3G steady fos ba, before wuna launch d 5G. Because we not get 4 G. You mean 5 Gallon. You guys are really comedians.”  

Bogdan Hanga 

“Hahahah funny, Sierra Leone barely has 3G.”

Journalist S Tarawally

“4G nor better than wunna go lunch 5G ooo salone – Fake government!”

But, is the claim that Sierra Leone is the first West African nation to introduce a 5G mobile network true? 

Due to the claim’s significance and the page’s approximately 87,000 followers, DUBAWA decided to verify the assertion in the public’s interest. 

Verification 

Togo and Ghana launched a 5G network before Sierra Leone  

DUBAWA’s investigations regarding the viral claim that Sierra Leone was the ‘first’ to launch a 5G mobile network within the West African region proved the contrary. The West African nations, including Togo and Ghana, have since launched 5G mobile networks/technology, before Sierra Leone, which only launched a 5G network in June 2025. 

Togolese Axian mobile company launched West Africa’s first 5G mobile network 

Axian, a Togolese mobile service provider, launched West Africa’s first-ever 5G network in November 2020, making the small West African country the third 5G network user in Africa. 

Ex-President Nana Akufo-Addo launched a 5G network for Ghanaians 

The former president of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, sometime in November 2024, officially launched Ghana’s “5G mobile/internet network for Ghanians.” Stories from the launch can be found here and here.

In a statement via Ghana’s Web TV, he noted that the 5G network represents a significant step towards advancing Ghana’s internet connection solution. 

DUBAWA’s efforts to get a comment from staff at the Ministry of Information and Civic Education (MoICE) regarding the viral Facebook post proved unsuccessful. As of the time of publication, the staff had not responded.   

Conclusion 

DUBAWA’s investigation proved that Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Information and Civic Education’s claim that it was the first West African nation to launch a “5G mobile network” is false.