By Lamin Bangura
ICONA London celebrated the grand opening of its newest branch at 184 Wilkinson Road in Freetown on Saturday, 17th January 2026. The event commenced with opening prayers by Zenobia, who warmly welcomed attendees and expressed her delight in serving as moderator for the official ceremony. The Business Development Manager extended a welcome to all present, affirming ICONA’s position as a leading brand and encouraging everyone to expect the best experience.
Country Director, Jayesh Pardhi, thanked the guests, media partners, valuable customers, and the entire ICONA team for their presence. He highlighted the company’s positive growth within Sierra Leone, marked by the opening of multiple branches across the country. He reaffirmed ICONA’s commitment to providing sustainable products at affordable prices while maintaining a focus on giving back to the community.
The Director General of the Local Content Agency emphasized the national priority of local content, which ensures Sierra Leoneans take leadership and ownership of the economy. He stressed the importance of moving beyond selling finished products to establishing local assembly industries that enable technology transfer and job creation. Commending ICONA for its international work, he assured the company of his agency’s support and offered assistance in obtaining the necessary authorization to facilitate further nationwide expansion.
Youth Minister, Hon. Ibrahim Sannoh, expressed willingness to collaborate on policies and incentives to support job creation and skills empowerment. He noted the critical need to make youth employable through basic skills training, thanked ICONA for its initiative, and looked forward to future cooperation.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Destiny Zeedes Kamara on behalf of ICONA. She expressed gratitude to Country Director, Jayesh Pardhi, for his leadership, the management team for their guidance, and the valued customers for their support. Special appreciation was extended to the staff for their hard work and to all attendees for celebrating this milestone. The company looks forward to serving the community and marked the occasion by offering special discounts to customers.