Chief Minister Dr. David Moinina Sengeh has visited the National Investment Board (NIB) to review progress on the nearly completed One-Stop Digital Business Service Platform, aimed at making business registration and related government services faster, more efficient and accessible to investors and entrepreneurs.
The engagement builds on a Memorandum of Understanding signed 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.
Dr. Sengeh, who was then Chief Innovation Officer at DSTI, represented the Directorate, while Dr. Sandy served as Minister of Trade and Industry. Nearly four years later, the two officials have reconvened in their current capacities, with Dr. Sengeh serving as Chief Minister and Dr. Sandy as Executive Director of the NIB, to review progress on the initiative and its contribution to improving business service delivery.
During the visit, Dr. Sandy took the Chief Minister and his team through key sections of the institution, including the archive and scanning units. The archive contains records dating as far back as 1827, while the scanning unit is supporting the digitisation and modernisation of records.
The team also observed customer-focused facilities, including children’s playground and recreational space for customers, as well as accessible toilet facilities for persons with disabilities, reflecting the NIB’s focus on inclusive service delivery.
Dr. Sandy also highlighted the NIB’s ongoing restructuring to establish a more efficient institutional framework and its role in bringing together key business and investment functions across government. The Board is supporting the development of bankable projects and investment opportunities, while working with international partners including the European Union, United Kingdom, United States, China and ECOWAS.
The One-Stop Digital Business Service Platform is expected to become operational by November 2026 and will enable businesses to register digitally within minutes, significantly reducing administrative delays. The platform is expected to improve the ease of doing business, strengthen investment facilitation and make government services more responsive.
Commending the NIB’s progress, Chief Minister Dr. Sengeh reaffirmed Government’s commitment to the institution and its contribution to transforming public service delivery.
The visit forms part of ongoing efforts to advance the priorities of President Julius Maada Bio’s Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) 2024–2030, particularly in strengthening public-sector efficiency, promoting technology-driven service delivery and creating an enabling environment for private-sector investment.
The reforms also support the ‘’Big Five Game Changers’’, particularly Technology and Infrastructure and Transforming the Public Service Architecture, by simplifying business processes, strengthening investment facilitation and applying digital technology to make government services more accessible, efficient and responsive.
