By Foday Moriba Conteh
Open Hubb, a digital financial technology company, on Friday, 24 April 2026, officially launched its new business platform, ‘Flot Business’, alongside an artificial intelligence Chatbot named “Flot” at Aberdeen in Freetown, in a move aimed at supporting Sierra Leone’s financial modernization drive led by the Bank of Sierra Leone, with a strong focus on expanding financial inclusion and improving digital payments across the country.
The Flot platform enables merchants and enterprises to accept payments from multiple sources, including Flot users, mobile money services and global card networks such as Visa and Mastercard, while providing instant settlement into business accounts through a unified system that supports both local and international transactions.
Fasasi Charles Adeniye, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Sky Bank Sierra Leone, described Flot Business and its artificial intelligence Chatbot as a significant innovation addressing long-standing challenges within Sierra Leone’s fragmented payment systems. Limitations in infrastructure and inefficient payment processes, according to Fasasi Charles Adeniye, continue to constrain business growth and financial inclusion, making integrated solutions increasingly necessary.
The platform, Fasasi Charles Adeniye explained, simplifies those challenges by enabling businesses to accept payments through multiple channels, including Visa, Mastercard, Orange Money and Afrimoney, within a single system, thereby improving efficiency, transparency and scalability for enterprises of all sizes. Regulatory oversight from the Bank of Sierra Leone was also highlighted as critical in ensuring responsible innovation, consumer protection and sustained trust in the financial system.
Commitment by Sky Bank Sierra Leone to supporting digital transformation and financial inclusion was reaffirmed, with the partnership with Open Hubb positioned as part of broader efforts to modernize Sierra Leone’s financial ecosystem. Businesses were encouraged to adopt the platform as a means of simplifying operations and unlocking new growth opportunities, while collaboration among banks, fintech companies, regulators and enterprises was identified as essential for sustainable innovation.
Ugochukwu Irechukwu, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank Sierra Leone, described Flot as a transformative solution capable of modernizing payment systems in a largely cash-driven economy. The continued dominance of cash-based transactions, Ugochukwu Irechukwu noted, has created inefficiencies for both businesses and individuals, underscoring the importance of digital alternatives.
Through the platform, instant fund transfers can be executed across mobile money services and bank cards, while businesses are able to collect payments using simplified tools such as QR codes, aligning with broader continental efforts to modernize financial infrastructure and reduce reliance on cash. Financial institutions, according to Ugochukwu Irechukwu, must deepen collaboration with fintech innovators and regulators to strengthen digital payment ecosystems and expand access to financial services.
Hon. Ing. Fallah K. Tengbeh, Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Information and Communication Technology, described the launch as a milestone in Sierra Leone’s digital transformation journey, reflecting growing national readiness to embrace innovation and deepen financial inclusion. Fintech solutions such as Flot, Hon. Ing. Fallah K. Tengbeh noted, are addressing critical challenges faced by small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly in payment processing and access to finance, while enhancing convenience, expanding market access and supporting job creation through the integration of multiple payment systems.
Emphasis was also placed on the role of fintech as a driver of economic growth and transparency, with the importance of regulatory compliance under the Bank of Sierra Leone highlighted as essential for balancing innovation with consumer protection. Parliament’s role, according to him, remains focused on ensuring accountability while promoting technologies that benefit citizens and support national development.
David Kpakima, Chief Executive Officer of Open Hubb, underscored the central role of businesses in driving inclusive economic growth, noting that Flot was developed to improve operational efficiency and strengthen financial inclusion across Sierra Leone. Persistent challenges in payment collection, settlement and financial accessibility were identified as key barriers, with collaboration between banks and fintech partners described as vital to overcoming these constraints.
Built on open banking principles, the platform functions as an orchestrator within the financial ecosystem by connecting services, reducing barriers and expanding access to financial tools. Recognition was given to the Bank of Sierra Leone’s Regulatory Sandbox Committee for providing an enabling environment that supports the safe testing and scaling of fintech innovations.
David Kpakima further revealed that the development team has previously delivered successful digital financial solutions that reached hundreds of thousands of users, demonstrating the value of data-driven innovation. The significance of remittances to Sierra Leone’s economy was also highlighted, with diaspora inflows identified as a major opportunity for expanding local economic participation. Through Flot, global senders are connected directly to local businesses, enabling faster and more efficient transactions.
The platform has already integrated over 3,000 local businesses, positioning itself not only as a payment solution but also as a digital companion that allows users to locate essential services such as plumbers, electricians and other local providers. Commitment to advancing a cashless economy and driving digital transformation was reaffirmed, with the platform’s gateways, APIs and wallets described as fully open for collaboration, reinforcing the importance of partnerships in sustaining innovation and supporting businesses and communities across Sierra Leone.
