Communication Minister Explores NIB’s New Online Business Registration System
Aminata Koroma The Minister of Communication, Technology and Innovation, Salima Bah, has visited the National Investment Board (NIB) at its Jomo Kenyatta Road office in Freetown to familiarise herself with the institution’s newly developed Online Business Registration System (OBRS).
During the visit, the NIB team demonstrated how the digital platform works and conducted a tour of the institution’s offices.
The Online Business Registration System is designed to simplify the process of registering businesses in Sierra Leone, allowing entrepreneurs and investors, including those living abroad, to complete the process online without having to visit multiple offices.
Under the system, applicants can begin by searching the portal to confirm the availability of their preferred business name before submitting a reservation request for approval. Once the name is approved, applicants can create an account, pay the required fee in Leones at a bank and complete the registration form.
They are also required to upload their identification and other supporting documents, while the platform allows them to monitor the progress of their applications and receive feedback from the registrar. Once registration is approved, applicants can download and print their business certificates.
Development of the platform began in 2022, following the enactment of the National Investment Board Act, which brought business registration and investment promotion under one institution.
In November 2022, the Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) and the Ministry of Trade and Industry signed a Memorandum of Understanding to digitise business service delivery in Sierra Leone.
The NIB is also working with the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) to integrate the National Identification Number into the business registration process.
The Online Business Registration System reflects the objectives of Sierra Leone’s National Innovation and Digital Strategy, which seeks to make government services more accessible and efficient by reducing long queues, paperwork and repeated visits to public offices.
The Ministry of Communication, Technology and Innovation has reaffirmed its commitment to continuing collaboration with the NIB, DSTI and other relevant institutions to expand the digitisation of public services across the country.