LAKE Group

09/27/2026

LAKE Group Launches First Phase of $65,000 Partnership to Build Africa’s Creative Digital Economy Financial Platform for Ticketing, Payments, Voting, and Streaming

PRESS RELEASE‼️

FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE / CALIFORNIA, USA — 27th September 2026 — LAKE Group today launched its digital platform for Africa's creative and entertainment industry at www.lakegroupsl.com. Audiences worldwide can now buy tickets, pay, vote, and watch events live online.

Built in Africa, for Africa and the world

The platform starts in Sierra Leone but is built for the whole continent. It is based in California, runs from Freetown, and is available across the African digital market. It accepts local mobile money payments across Africa, including Orange Money, Afrimoney, MTN, Airtel Money, credit and debit cards, and PayPal.

The platform uses the leading global payment system, Stripe, to process card payments securely. Buyers in Freetown pay by mobile money in leones, and buyers in the diaspora pay by card in their own currency. The platform works on phones, including low-cost Android phones and iPhones, and on limited mobile data.

Miss Freetown goes first

The Miss Freetown Beauty Pageant is the first event on the platform:

• Paperless tickets: Each ticket has a unique QR code. It arrives by SMS and email within a minute and is scanned at the gate.
• Cashless event: Every payment goes through the platform. No cash changes hands at the door.
• Codeless voting: Supporters vote online from anywhere in a few taps. Voting rules are published before voting opens, and independent verifiers check the results.
• Live streaming worldwide: Fans who can't be in the room can watch live on a phone, tablet, laptop, or TV. One payment gives access to one event. Viewers can choose HD, a low-data mode, or audio-only, and switch between them at no extra cost. Access stays open after the event so viewers can watch again.

LAKE Group's other national and international event franchises are also on the platform. They include the National Entertainment Awards, the National Music Awards, the National Music Festival, and the Miss Mano River International Beauty Pageant.

Open to the wider industry

The platform is open to organizers and show promoters across Africa and the diaspora. This includes reality TV shows, award ceremonies, pageants, and concerts and tours in Africa, the UK, Europe, and the United States. Organizers can use it for secure voting, ticket payments, and live streaming that reaches a global audience.

“African creativity has never lacked talent. It has lacked the infrastructure to be seen, paid, and taken seriously," said Prof. Alhaji K. Tarawally, Founder and CEO of LAKE Group. “Miss Freetown is where we start. Our goal is an African entertainment industry that is digital, transparent, and ready for the global market.”

Test it. Try to prove us wrong.

The platform is live, but it is still a work in progress, and we want the public to test it hard. Buy a ticket, cast a vote, stream an event, and try it all on your cheapest phone and your weakest connection. If something breaks, confuses you, or takes too long, tell us. Email [email protected] with the subject line "PLATFORM FEEDBACK". We read every report, and it helps shape the next version.

This platform is for you. Explore it now at https://www.lakegroupsl.com/.

Media Enquiries & Partnership contact
LAKE Group · [email protected]
WhatsApp: +232 75 002238 (Sierra Leone) · Call: +1 669 335 1530 (USA)

…African Roots. Global Reach.

09/12/2026

Today the entire LAKE Group family celebrates our very own Love Di Maria — Pageant Coordinator and a true champion of young women. ✨

Wishing you long life, prosperity and every happiness. Enjoy your special day, Queen! 👑💙



Miss Freetown Beauty Pageant - Sierra Leone Limited

09/06/2026

Prices Are Out‼️

The prices are OUT👑

Tickets for Sierra Leone’s biggest pageant night are officially live — and the smart ones buy early. Pre-Ticket is Le 500, but it’s Le 700 at the gate. Do the maths. 😉

VIP tables single Le 3,000 and double Le 5000 — because some nights deserve the best front seat in the house. 🥂

👑 Miss Freetown 2026
· 28 November · Chapter One

Whatsapp & Reserve now😎
👉 +232 75 00 22 38

09/03/2026

MEDIA RELEASE

LAKE Group Appoints ”Di Maria” Koroma as Pageant Coordinator

Celebrated International pageant queen and celebrated catwalk coach to elevate the Group’s pageants franchises — beginning with Miss Freetown 2026.

The LAKE Group has appointed Maria Aminata Koroma, popularly known as “Di Maria,” as Pageant Coordinator for the Group’s beauty-pageant franchises. Her two-year appointment takes effect on 1 September 2026.

In her new role, Ms. Koroma will work alongside Moi Tee, the Executive Directors of Miss Freetown - Sierra Leone Limited and the upcoming Miss Mano River International Beauty Pageant to ensure the successful coordination and delivery of these LAKE Group event franchises. Her first assignment will be with Miss Freetown SL Limited, working collaboratively with the Pageant Producer and the fifteen (15) queens to recreate a pageant experience unlike any other for Miss Freetown 2026.

“I’m delighted to welcome Di Maria to the LAKE Group. She brings a wealth of pageantry experience — as an international queen who represented Sierra Leone across four countries and as one of our most sought-after catwalk coaches — and I’m confident she will help us recreate a pageant experience unlike any other,” said Prof. Alhaji K. Tarawally, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the LAKE Group.

A Queen, a Coach, and a Champion of Young Women

A former beauty queen who represented Sierra Leone in Turkey, Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa, Maria Aminata Koroma has built a distinguished pageantry career-winning Miss Photogenic, Best Top-Two Catwalk, Top-3 Top Model and Best National Costume along the way.

She has since become one of the country’s most respected catwalk coaches,public speaking mentors and pageant directors, helping queens triumph in many of Sierra Leone’s biggest pageants. Her recent engagements include serving as coordinator for the Sierra Leone Beauty Pageant 2025, and as catwalk coach for AYV Miss University and Kenema Fashion Week.

She holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Development Studies and is a Master of Public Administration candidate at Njala University.

Across the stage and the classroom, she brings a rare blend of international pageantry experience, professional coaching and a genuine passion for empowering young women — precisely the qualities the LAKE Group’s pageants need as they scale to new heights.

“It is with a grateful heart that I accept this appointment as Pageant Coordinator for the LAKE Group. This is a dream come true — it is my
passion and my career. With my pageantry experience, I look forward to sharing my ideas and making a positive impact on the Miss Freetown Beauty Pageant 2026 and its queens,” said Ms. Koroma.

About Miss Freetown

Established in 2011 by Dr. Alhaji K. Tarawally and a subsidiary of the LAKE Group, the Miss Freetown Beauty Pageant SL Limited is Sierra Leone’s leading celebration of beauty,
intellect and creativity among young women. Through initiatives such as the Girl Power Initiative and the Hands of Our Girls Campaign, it champions cultural appreciation, leadership and self-confidence — nurturing queens who have gone on to represent Sierra
Leone on national and international stages.

LAKE Group — African Roots. Global Reach.

# Contact

LAKE Group Communications & Media Directorate

- Email: [email protected]
- WhatsApp: +232 75 002 238
- US Line: +1 669 335 1530
- Website: www.lakegroupsl.com (under reconstruction)

Issued by:
Kamara Musa Mark
Chief Operating Officer, LAKE Group

A F R I C A N R O O T S .
G L O B A L R E A C H .

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09/01/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LAKE Group Appoints Lawyer Jenneh Buya Kamara as Executive Director of the National Entertainment Awards

A lawyer and celebrated event producer takes the helm as the NEA counts down to its 10th anniversary — and sets its sights on becoming one of Africa's leading award platforms.

, Sierra Leone — 1 September 2026 — The LAKE Group has appointed Lawyer Jenneh Buya Kamara, Esq. as Executive Director of the National Entertainment Awards SL Limited (NEA), the Group's flagship entertainment subsidiary. Her appointment takes effect today.

She arrives at a defining moment. In 2027, the NEA turns ten — and the Group is not planning a quiet celebration. It is planning a statement.

Lawyer Kamara's first mandate is to deliver the NEA's 10th-anniversary edition, a milestone the Group intends to carry beyond Sierra Leone's borders. She will work closely with the Chief Operating Officer, the Managing Director and the wider LAKE Group executive team.

"NEA is aspiring to become one of the biggest award events in Africa, and we're excited that Jenneh will lead us toward that future," said Prof. Alhaji K. Tarawally, Founder and CEO of the LAKE Group. "After years of building and maintaining the highest international award standards here at home, 2027 is the year we go global."

# Leader of Law, Creativity and Service

Jenneh Buya Kamara brings something rare to the role — the discipline of a lawyer and the eye of a world-class event producer.

She began her education at John F. Kennedy Primary School and Limount College before reading Law at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. She was called to the Sierra Leone Bar in 2016.

Outside the courtroom, she is the owner and Creative Director of Jay's Wedding and Event Planning, one of Sierra Leone's leading event companies, known for producing beautiful, meticulously staged celebrations. Across both law and business, she has built a reputation for professionalism, creativity and service — exactly what the NEA needs as it scales to international standards.

"I've heard a lot about LAKE, and I've followed all of their events — from the Kizz Daniel concert at the National Stadium to the National Music Festival and much more," said Lawyer Kamara. "It's an honour to join this team and to serve my country through this national event."

# Years of Setting the Standard

Since its launch in April 2017, the NEA has grown into one of Sierra Leone's most respected entertainment institutions. It honours excellence across music, film, comedy, fashion, sports, media, tourism and cultural heritage — and pioneered the country's first fully electronic award-stage production.

Now, with new leadership in place, the brand steps into its most ambitious chapter yet.

# the NEA

Established in April 2017 as a subsidiary of the LAKE Group, the National Entertainment Awards SL Limited is Sierra Leone's premier annual celebration of creative excellence.

The awards draw hundreds of Sierra Leonean creatives from around the world and have been endorsed at the highest levels, including by the President and First Lady of Sierra Leone. The NEA has set new benchmarks for professional event production nationally and aspires to stand alongside Africa's and the world's leading award platforms.

# Group — African Roots. Global Reach.

# Contact

LAKE Group Communications & Media Directorate

- Email: [email protected]
- WhatsApp: +232 75 002 238
- US Line: +1 669 335 1530
- Website: www.lakegroupsl.com (under reconstruction)

Issued by:
Kamara Musa Mark
Chief Operating Officer, LAKE Group

A F R I C A N R O O T S .
G L O B A L R E A C H .

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08/26/2026

LAKE Group will make three major announcements this week: the official ticket prices for the 2026 Miss Freetown, the appointment of a new NEA Executive Director before the 2027 event, and the new Miss Freetown Pageant Coordinator.

08/23/2026

On behalf of the team, happy birthday Josephine Precious Iloba, the Executive Assistant of the LAKE Group. We send our warmest wishes and eagerly anticipate a successful future together 🎂 🎉 🎁

With love from the Conglomerates ❤️💪🏾

08/12/2026

🎉🎂 Happy Birthday, Bondu A Komba, our Director of Event and Program Management at LAKE Group.

Your dedication and creativity have greatly contributed to our team and events. May your birthday be filled with joy, laughter, and unforgettable moments with loved ones. We appreciate you and look forward to more successful events together.

08/07/2026

Meet the 15 finalists of the 2026 Miss Freetown Beauty Pageant - Sierra Leone. Out of 48 applicants, 20 were shortlisted for auditions, and now 15 have advanced to compete at the grand pageant night on November 28th at Chapter One.

Which community will claim the crown of our Capital City?

©️LAKE Group

08/04/2026

We Meant EVERY word of it👌