In February 2021, Sylla & Partners, a leading business law firm in Guinea, assisted the Government of Guinea in connection with the concession of the operation and maintenance of the national fibre optic backbone, through the Société de Gestion et d’Exploitation du Backbone (SOGEB).
This landmark project, aimed at strengthening Guinea’s national digital infrastructure, forms part of the government’s strategy to develop telecommunications and improve nationwide connectivity. The construction of the national backbone, comprising more than 4,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable, was financed through a concessional loan from China Export Import Bank in the amount of USD 238 million. Commercial operations of the project were officially launched in September 2020 in Conakry.
As part of this mandate, Sylla & Partners acted as legal adviser to the Government of Guinea and provided legal assistance covering legal, financial, tax, and technical aspects of the transaction. The firm advised on the structuring of the concession framework, the applicable regulatory regime for public infrastructure projects, and the legal security of the contractual arrangements.
The assignment also involved issues of corporate structuring and compliance under Guinean corporate law, as well as tax considerations applicable to the project. This mandate is part of the firm’s broader experience in advising on large-scale infrastructure projects and public-private partnerships in Guinea.
Through this transaction, Sylla & Partners confirms its ability to support the Guinean State in the structuring and implementation of strategic infrastructure projects with significant economic and institutional impact, ensuring a high level of legal certainty and regulatory compliance.
Further information on similar infrastructure mandates handled by the firm is available in the References section. For additional details, Sylla & Partners can be contacted via our contact page.