By Ragan M. Conteh
Lawmakers in Sierra Leone have on Wednesday 28th January, 2020 exposed the weak Marketing Strategy of the Sierra Leone State Lottery.
The law makers made this discovery while vetting presidential nominees for various positions at the country’s State Lottery.
Ibrahim Ben Kargbo of the main opposition APC has expressed his frustration and bitterness that the Sierra Leone State Lottery cannot effectively compete with foreign companies like Mercury International.
He praised the management structure at Mercury International and their current posture in the market as compared to the Sierra Leone State Lottery.
The opposition MP has recounted that the Sierra Leone State Lottery has over the years engaged in very poor and weak marketing strategies leading to the government listing them for privatization.
“State Lottery is not doing well at all, we cannot even compete with foreign Mercury Company”- he said.
Alhaji Alusine Fukuba Fofanah, one of the Presidential nominees, confirmed to the MPs that, the Sierra Leone State Lottery has over the years performed poorly due to poor marketing strategies and lack of a formidable Board team.
These factors he recounted were very critical in the poor performance of the institution.
Mr. Fofanah added that, Sierra Leone State Lottery only has presence in seven (7) districts in Sierra Leone. He urged parliament to approve the various Board Members so to help improve the image and effectiveness of the Sierra Leone State Lottery.
The State Leone State Lottery has over been fraught with financial and logistical challenges to effectively compete with other foreign companies and hence government was keen in privatizing the company with a view to match its operations with foreign companies currently operating in the country.