From paper to digital: Somalia’s standards services move online
With support from HoA DRIVE Somalia, SOBS is building a unified digital platform for businesses to access standards, apply for certification and verify certificates.
The Somali Bureau of Standards (SOBS) is moving its services online with support from HoA DRIVE Somalia. The new SOBS Integrated Management Information System replaces separate paper-based processes with a unified digital platform designed to help businesses apply for certification, track progress, and access national standards in one place.
SOBS oversees quality and compliance services for goods imported, exported, manufactured, and used across Somalia. Through the new platform, applicants can upload documents, respond to reviewers’ queries, and receive real-time electronic notifications.
The system covers certifications across multiple categories, including imported goods, halal products, manufactured items, service providers, and exports.
Making certification simpler
To assist users, an AI chatbot available in both Somali and English provides guidance on approved SOBS information and official registers. It helps users understand certification requirements, prepare documents and find their way through applications, payments and certificate verification.
Public features include a searchable standards catalogue, a directory of certified companies and products, and a tool to verify certificate validity by number or QR code.
For internal operations, the system integrates certification with inspection records, metrology, document management, and financial records. This gives SOBS staff a clear view of pending work and service timelines, ensuring traceable decision-making while reducing redundant paperwork.
“Strong standards institutions depend on clear procedures, reliable records and traceable decisions,” said Dr. Mohamed Khalif, HoA DRIVE Technical Advisor at SOBS.
Connecting standards and trade
The work forms part of DRIVE’s support for Somalia’s quality infrastructure and trade. Designed for future expansion, the platform will eventually link with Customs, the National Single Window, livestock traceability, and digital veterinary certification systems.
These integrations will allow agencies to exchange records directly, eliminating repeated data submissions and making compliance a predictable part of doing business.
The next phase will focus on data migration, staff training, cybersecurity reviews, and rollout preparation, aligning the platform with SOBS quality management procedures to embed clear, traceable workflows into daily service delivery.
Suleiman Abdullahi is the HoA DRIVE Focal Point at the Somali Bureau of Standards.
