By Haddy Touray
Economist and senior member of the Gambia For All (GFA) party, Dr. Ousman Gajigo, has criticised the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC), accusing the utility of issuing misleading statements on the country’s ongoing electricity crisis.
In a social media post reacting to NAWEC’s press release of 26 May 2026, Dr. Gajigo described the company’s communication as “blatantly false” and said its management was “adding insult to injury” amid prolonged nationwide power outages.
He disputed NAWEC’s claim that the disruptions are limited to the Greater Banjul Area and the West Coast Region, arguing that the assertion does not reflect the scale of the situation.
“At least 65% of Gambians live in those areas,” he said, adding that even if the claim were accurate, the impact would remain severe. He likened the statement to “assuring someone with a serious head injury that their hands are unharmed.”
Dr. Gajigo said power outages are in fact affecting the entire country, citing his recent travel to the Upper River Region, including Kantora, where he said communities were also experiencing electricity cuts. He added that similar disruptions were observed in the Central, Lower and North Bank regions.
He also questioned NAWEC’s reference to fuel supply constraints, asking whether the utility lacks a long-term procurement strategy. He argued that if fuel planning is a major cause of the crisis, it reflects serious management failures.
“If management is genuinely telling us that fuel is purchased on such a short-term basis that it has become a significant contributor to the current electricity crisis, then they are effectively making the case for their own dismissal,” he wrote.
Dr. Gajigo further criticised NAWEC’s pledge to strengthen generation capacity, saying the statement is unrealistic given that The Gambia relies heavily on imported electricity and that new power infrastructure cannot be delivered quickly.
While acknowledging NAWEC staff as “hardworking and dedicated,” he called for urgent reforms within the company’s management and at the level of the Ministry of Energy.
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