By: Fatou Krubally
The National Environment Agency (NEA) has taken delivery of 11 brand new vehicles to boost its nationwide operations.
This followed years of mobility constraints that have hampered the agency’s capacity to monitor and respond to environmental issues across The Gambia.
The fleet, officially handed over on Monday at the NEA headquarters in Banjul, was procured through a higher purchase partnership with the Gambia Teachers’ Union Cooperative Credit Union (GTU-CCU).
Speaking at the ceremony, NEA Executive Director Dr. Dawda Badgie described the handover as a major relief for the agency, which has struggled with inadequate transport for years. “When I took office in 2022, the NEA faced acute mobility constraints that affected our ability to deliver on our mandate,” Dr. Badgie said. “After months of setbacks, GTU-CCU came in as our lifeline.”
The vehicles, which include five pickups, four saloon cars, one 15-seater minivan, and a 30-seater bus yet to arrive, will be used to strengthen field operations and improve staff mobility. Dr. Badgie stressed that the new fleet will help the NEA enforce its declared “Year of Enforcement and Awareness Creation,” which aims to tackle rising environmental violations across the country.
Sanna Tunkara, Director of Human Resources at GTU-CCU, said the credit union is proud to partner with the NEA to address the country’s environmental needs. He noted that while the vehicles remain the property of GTU-CCU until fully paid for, they are exclusively for NEA’s operational use under strict management rules.
Both institutions highlighted the importance of safeguarding the vehicles from misuse, citing past instances of public assets being diverted for unofficial purposes. The NEA assured stakeholders that the new fleet will be tracked under a new vehicle policy to ensure accountability.
“This partnership is about more than vehicles. It is about securing a cleaner, safer environment for everyone,” Dr. Badgie said, thanking GTU-CCU for what he described as an unprecedented collaboration.
With the new fleet, the NEA says it is better positioned to meet its growing responsibilities, and urged all staff to uphold the agency’s strict punctuality and operational standards.
The vehicles are expected to start operations immediately.