By Haddy Touray
Gambian President, Adama Barrow Saturday inaugurated a major electricity access project in Njongon, North Bank Region (NBR).
He described the project as part of his government’s commitment to “delivering inclusive development and expanding energy access nationwide.”
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony on 7 February 2026, President Barrow said the project demonstrated the government’s determination to ensure that all Gambians benefit from development regardless of their location.
He notes that more than 650 million people in Africa still lack access to electricity a situation he says continues to hinder economic growth, social progress and equality across the continent.
The president said African leaders, in collaboration with development partners, had embraced the Mission 300 (M300) Agenda, a continental initiative aimed at accelerating electricity access to 300 million Africans by 2030. He added that The Gambia was committed to playing a leading role in implementing the initiative.
Barrow acknowledged that many rural communities in the country had historically lived without electricity, limiting business opportunities and forcing families and schoolchildren to rely on traditional lighting sources. He said ongoing electrification efforts were aimed at changing that reality.
According to him, the newly inaugurated project is expected to improve living standards and expand economic opportunities for rural communities in the North Bank Region.
The president announced that a total of 719 communities across The Gambia have now been electrified, including 209 in the North Bank Region. He described that as an unprecedented achievement that brought the country closer to universal electricity access.
He says the national electrification rate is projected to increase from 73 percent to about 90 percent following completion of ongoing projects, positioning The Gambia among the first ECOWAS countries to achieve universal electricity access, targeted for the end of 2026.
Barrow assured that the remaining communities without electricity would be connected through resources mobilised by the government and its partners. He disclosed that D400 million had been allocated in the 2026 national budget to support electrification efforts, alongside additional financing under the National Energy Compact initiative with the World Bank, African Development Bank and other partners.
The president emphasised that electricity played a key role in socio-economic transformation by supporting education, healthcare, agro-processing, small businesses and industrial development.
He expressed gratitude to development partners including the World Bank, European Union, European Investment Bank and ECOWAS for their continued support, and commended the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mines, NAWEC, consultants and contractors for implementing the project.
President Barrow urged communities to make full use of the infrastructure and concluded by officially commissioning the electricity access project.
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