By: Lamin B. Darboe,
Senior Communication Officer, MoPS
A two-day review of The Gambia Government-UNICEF Country Programme 2024–2028 recently concluded at Ocean Bay Hotel in Bakau.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Deputy Permanent Secretary (Technical) at The Gambia’s Ministry of Public Service, Amet Sallah called on government institutions and development partners to reaffirm their shared commitment to delivering tangible results for children and communities across the country.
He said protecting children required collective action and sustained collaboration among all stakeholders.
According to him, the discussions during the review demonstrated a strong commitment to improving coordination, strengthening child protection systems, ensuring the sustainability of interventions and focusing on measurable results.
“Our priority now is to translate these initiatives into action, strengthen existing systems rather than duplicate efforts, and ensure that every intervention contributes meaningfully to the national development agenda and improved outcomes for children in The Gambia,” Sallah said.
The deputy permanent secretary stressed the importance of strengthening coordination mechanisms at the regional level to promote harmonisation, synergy and complementarity among institutions, rather than creating overlapping structures.
He urged participants to measure success by the changes achieved rather than the activities undertaken, noting that challenges related to the maintenance of solar systems, hospital equipment and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities underscore the importance of ownership and sustainability.
Sallah also called for stronger systems to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment and violence against children.
He further urged implementing institutions to ensure that funding requests are based on planned activities and effective implementation, warning that delays in the liquidation of funds negatively affect both the physical and financial performance of the country programme.
The deputy permanent secretary commended Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), particularly the Directorate of Strategic Policy and Delivery (DSPD), and UNICEF for their continued support to the implementation of the programme.
Also speaking at the event, UNICEF Deputy Country Representative in The Gambia, Armand Gnahore, said the 2026 Mid-Year Review had been redesigned in response to feedback from partners, with the exercise expanded from a one-day meeting to a two-day review to allow for more comprehensive discussions.
The closing ceremony was chaired by Dr. Mariam John, Director of the Coordination Unit at the Directorate of Strategic Policy and Delivery under the Ministry of Public Service. Mustapha Sanyang, Acting Director of the Delivery Unit, and Sira Sanneh, Principal Coordination Officer, both of the Ministry of Public Service, moderated the event.
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