The Chief Minister, Dr David Moinina Sengeh, visited the National Investment Board (NIB) today to review the progress of the almost complete One-Stop Digital Business Service Platform. The platform is meant to make business registration and related government services faster, more efficient and more accessible to investors and entrepreneurs.
The visit to the NIB offices on Jomo Kenyatta Road follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in November 2022 between the Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) and the then Ministry of Trade and Industry to digitise business service delivery. At the time of signing the MoU, Dr Sengeh was Chief Innovation Officer for the Directorate, and Dr Sandy was Minister of Trade and Industry. Dr Sengeh, as Chief Minister, and Dr Sandy, as Executive Director of NIB, met again in their current positions almost four years later to review progress and the platform’s contribution to improving business services.
Dr Sandy took the Chief Minister and his delegation through key sections of the Board during the tour and explained its historical and modern functions. On display with the Board’s scanning unit was the NIB archive, which contains documents dating back to 1827 and is a key part of the digitisation project to help modernise and conserve records. The delegation also visited customer services such as a children’s play area, a visitor recreation space, and accessible toilet facilities for people with disabilities, which the Board said exemplify the organisation’s commitment to inclusive, customer-focused service delivery.
Dr Sandy spoke about the ongoing institutional restructuring efforts to create a more efficient framework for the NIB and how the Board is consolidating key business and investment functions across government. He discussed NIB’s role in making projects bankable and presenting investment opportunities to domestic and international stakeholders. The Board is working with partners such as the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, China and ECOWAS to enhance its investment facilitation capability.
The One-Stop Digital Business Service Platform is expected to become operational by November 2026. Once operational, the platform is anticipated to allow businesses to register digitally within minutes, thus drastically reducing bureaucratic delays and administrative burdens. Officials say the platform will make government services more responsive, make it easier to do business in Sierra Leone and improve the country’s ability to attract and process investment.
Congratulating the NIB on its progress, Chief Minister Sengeh reiterated the government’s commitment to the institution and its drive to modernise. He said the visit aligns with the priorities of the Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) 2024-2030, as articulated by President Julius Maada Bio, particularly efforts to improve public-sector efficiency, enhance technology-driven service delivery, and create an enabling environment for private-sector investment.
The reforms also contribute to the administration’s Big Five Game Changers by simplifying business processes, better facilitating investments and leveraging digital technology to make public services more accessible and efficient, with a focus on Technology and Infrastructure and Transforming the Public Service Architecture.
