The country’s biggest mobile money operator, Orange Money Sierra Leone, on Wednesday 14th August, 2024 partnered with the International Organization for Migration(IOM) at the New Signal Hill Road in Freetown to pay migrants through Orange Money.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is a United Nations’ organization working in the area of migration. The organization implements operational assistance programmes for migrants, including internally displaced persons, refugees and migrant workers.

During the signing of the partnership agreement, the Chief Executive Officer of Orange Money in Sierra Leone, David Samba Mansaray, said Orange Money has been in operation since 2016/2017 but was initially called Airtel Money.

He said the primary objective is to digitize payment and that this objective fits precisely with the objective of what IOM is trying to achieve.
David Samba Mansaray said they have been doing this for quite some time now and they have worked with so many organisations including the World Food Program (WFP), UNICEF, World Health Organization (WHO), among others.

The CEO said in many countries they have seen how digital payments are supported. ‘’This will help to solve and bring stability during migrant payments,’’ he emphasized.
Head of Office, IOM, Christos Christodoulides, said, ‘’I’m really glad that in the spirit of digitization and in the spirit of technology and moving from cash based money transfers into mobile money, we are really grateful that we have this moment. So, we are really looking forward to working together.’’

He said IOM Sierra Leone has been in the country for over 22 years now. ‘’We work closely with the government and many other partners as the UN Migration Agency here in Sierra Leone to really promote safe, orderly and human migration.’’

‘’I’m very pleased that we are here today for the signing of this cooperation or this agreement because the private sector engagement is key to our organization. We have a dedicated private sector policy for the next four years that’s at the global level. And I’m very pleased because that’s the first private sector engagement we have in Sierra Leone. So, for us, it’s a big and important step forward,’’ he said.