By Feima Sesay
Orange SL the leading mobile operator in Sierra Leone has on Friday, 2 June, 2023, held their media update for journalist in order to explain their successes as a company.
The event was held at their head office at Hill Station in Freetown.
Delivering his key note address, Mr. Bolor T. Sesay, expressed thanks and appreciation to media for the valued they have given to Orange as an entity and further highlighted the role of the media to the success of Orange Sierra Leone business.
He said the media landscape over the years has undergo transformation for the past decade and the emergency of this new technology have open up opportunities for more vibrant and diverse media.
According to him, the media has played an important role in building brand awareness, connecting them to their customers and also achieving business goals.
He furthered that the media is important for promoting product and services to the public, adding that the company relied heavily on different media channels to advertise it product and services and therefore said it is important to note that the brand awareness connecting to the customers and achieving business goal is one of the critical roles the media play to Orange Sierra Leone.
He further that the media has help Orange greatly in dealing directly with their existing customers and address any issues they have, adding that customers can reach Orange through the different social media platforms like Facebook and twitter and the company itself also uses it website and customer service hot lines to interact with customers and resolved their complains in a timely manner.
He said through the media Orange can now monitor customer sentiments and also meet customer satisfaction on it products and services.
He continued that the media also serve as a platform for Orange to promote it brand values and cooperate initiative, adding that Orange often partner with media to raise awareness on social courses that it supports such as financial inclusion, women’s empowerment and youth development programmes.
He said the publicity through the media has helped in strengthening orange’s reputation and brand image in the eyes of the public.
In conclusion, he said the media has played a critical role in Orange Sierra Leone business by enabling marketing, advertising and facilitating customer services and boosting the company image and credibility.
He said a well thought media strategy would be crucial for one to achieve it business goals for the years to come, adding that the company will continue to deal with different media channels creatively and effectively to stay very firm and connect with customers.
Madam Danita, General Secretary Orange Sierra Leone in addition described the event as symbolic one, stressing on the significant role of the media and commitment in bringing accurate, reliable and timely news to the general public about the company.
She also stated that as a company they recognized the critical role that the media plays in upholding the ideas of press freedom and keeping the public informed, adding that they valued their partnership with media houses and they are committed to working with the media to ensure that news and events are accurately and fairly reported to the general public.
She said they understand that the work the media do require significant effort, time and resources, assuring the media they respect the media dedication to their craft.
She said that as a company, they are also committed to the media transparency, accountability and they believe in open and honest communication with the public and the media, adding that they strive to provide timely and accurate information about their operations and events.
President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalist Ahmed Nasrala in his statement said Orange Sierra Leone and the media has come a long way, adding that there has been a mutual respect and support.
He added that Orange has help sustain the media in difficult time.
He said Orange and SLAJ has been very engaging especially when he was the secretary general of SLAJ under former president Kelvin Lewis and Orange did numerous programmes with the media like the scholarship programmed where Orange supported journalist to go to college and do their master degree and some were supported to do the PHD programmes.
He said Orange also help children of journalist to pay their school fees in both junior and senior secondary schools.
He said Orange supported in establishing the well fare funds under his leadership as president as it is use to support public interest media and journalist in terms of crisis.
According to him Orange during this election is supporting SLAJ to bring credible information to the public by providing unlimited internet connection to news room situated at the SLAJ office and regional offices.
In his presentation on their cooperate social responsibility, the head of PR Kamal Abass said the Chief Executive Officer Orange Sierra Leone Sekou Amadou Bah, join the company in March 2022 with a strong ambition to invest and accelerate digital transformation , social and financial inclusion in Sierra Leone and to established Orange it trusted partner for economic development.
He said Mr. Bah has worked in the group of Orange for over ten years and has wealth of experience in the field of financial innovation management.
He said Orange has been present in Sierra Leone for only six years and yet it has already stamped it CSR footprints across the country with an ambition to drive socio-economic development.
He said they have launched the Orange foundation under three pillars namely health, education and culture in the last five years and their total contribution has amounted to two hundred and eighty-four billion Leones and their CRS contribution amounted to seventeen billion Leones.
He also said their 2022 CSR brochure provides full report of their 2022 corporate and social activities ranging from their corporate contributions, environmental activities for green energy, building of additional early learning development centers , promotion of digital inclusion, community health project on maternal mortality and several other philanthropical activities related meeting the socio-economic needs of our society.
He added that Orange Sierra Leone is committed to protecting the environment and they acknowledge the potential environment impact that their operations may have on the environment.
He said the purpose of their environment programmes is to ensure reduction of their carbon footprint, environmental compliance and ensure protection of the environment, adding that this applies to the management, employees and all Orange Sierra Leone Services product.
Memumatu Sesay a staff also of orange in her presentation on their Environmental health Services said on 2 May this year, the company held a week long activities with the theme ‘Taking Sustainable steps to reduce carbon footprint ‘ she noted that the company is committed to protecting the environment .
Several other presentation were made by other staff on the activities of the foundation, internet connection, orange money, cloud services and marketing.
