The latest report from Auditor General Cherno Sowe paints a stark picture of the challenges facing The Gambia’s key sectors. Despite international commitments, chronic underfunding of health, education, and agriculture is undermining the nation’s capacity to deliver essential services and achieve sustainable development.
The health sector, in particular, is under severe strain. Receiving just D3.41 billion—only 7.2 percent of the national budget in 2024—far below the 15 percent target under the 2001 Abuja Declaration, the sector struggles to provide even basic care. This shortfall has real consequences: preventable deaths, loss of public trust, and the exodus of skilled medical professionals. A healthcare system weakened by underinvestment cannot effectively respond to emergencies, leaving communities vulnerable.
Education, allocated D5.76 billion or 12.2 percent of the budget, similarly falls short of both the national Education Policy and international benchmarks. This underfunding threatens teaching quality and the development of critical skills, with long-term implications for the country’s workforce and economic growth.
Agriculture, receiving only 3.5 percent of the budget, lags behind the 10 percent commitment under the 2003 Maputo Declaration. Inadequate investment in this sector perpetuates food insecurity, rural poverty, and reliance on costly imports—challenges that could be mitigated with strategic, climate-smart initiatives.
The Auditor General’s recommendations are clear: sustainable health financing, better domestic revenue mobilization, strategic education spending, and increased support for modern agriculture practices are urgently needed. While management cited fiscal constraints and rising debt as explanations, these should not be excuses for inaction. The cost of continued underfunding is far higher than the investment required to address it.
The Gambia stands at a critical juncture. Without decisive policy interventions and adequate budget allocations, the country risks undermining decades of progress and compromising its long-term development objectives. Meeting international commitments is not just a matter of prestige—it is a matter of survival, prosperity, and the well-being of its citizens.
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