The Brikama Area Council (BAC) yesterday disbursed D28 million in development funds to its 28 wards across the West Coast Region, allocating D1 million to each ward for community-prioritised projects.
This initiative, championed by BAC Chairman Yankuba Darboe, underscores the council’s commitment to grassroots development amid rapid urbanisation in the region.
Chairman Darboe handed over the funds to elected councillors during a ceremony, emphasising community-driven priorities identified by ward development committees.
The approach promotes ownership and sustainability, addressing challenges such as waste management, overcrowding, and inadequate services in a region now housing 47.5% of The Gambia’s 2.4 million population according to the 2024 census.
According to chairman Darboe, the disbursed funds are not generated from grants, subventions or donations received from benevolent donor nations or organisations.
“These are funds directly coming from the tax revenues we receive from you – the taxpayers of this region. Thus, none of this could have been possible, without your support to this council in paying your taxes and paying them on time. It could not have also been possible without us having dedicated and committed ourselves to fighting and ending corruption at this council.”
He disclosed that his team inherited a BAC that was highly indebted to almost all the banks.
“The institution was running on a deficit of D10 million with the banks, not to mention other entities and liabilities. The institution was so much indebted that at one point, between 2019 and 2022, it had to depend on a private construction company for its Nawec utility metres. Even Nawec was fed up with dealing with BAC. That was how bad things were at BAC. We thus had to muster courage to confront the cancer of corruption that was destroying BAC head on and expose its culprits.”
He added that the council has created employment for 264 young people in the region and provided scholarships to 300 students in 2024; 900 in 2025; and hoping to be increased to 1,200 this year.
“I want to seize the opportunity to thank all the ward development committees for their tireless efforts to ensure that the funds disbursed to you are utilised as expected. We encourage and admonish them to maintain the same, such that the Sustainable Development Goals, aspired for this year’s funds will be met.”
He said the council has developed a policy document for the management of the ward development funds, as a guide to assist wards with the implementation of future projects.
Chairman Darboe highlighted waste management and sanitation, high population density and overcrowding, inadequate infrastructure and services, lack of affordable housing and slum creation, pollution and environmental degradation, flooding and water problems as key challenges for his council.
“It is towards mitigating these challenges, that we initiated the ward development funds for the 28 wards of our region, in order to enable our council to register development projects in each and every ward of our region annually. This is aimed to be done through the engagement of the ward development committees, who are best positioned to understand and identify the priority development needs of their wards,” he said.
This decentralised and participatory approach, Chairman Darboe added, ensures that communities are directly involved in the decision-making, execution and maintenance of their projects. “Such a participatory model fosters a sense of ownership among the people, which is crucial for the sustainability of the projects. The decentralisation model further ensures that every ward of our region receives a fair share of our region’s limited resources and revenues mobilised annually.”
He added that it was towards these goals that the council registered the disbursement of D14 million in 2024 to 28 wards, with each receiving D500, 000.00.
“This disbursement has resulted in the implementation of 22 boreholes in the region, enabling 22 communities to have access to clean drinkable water; eight market sheds were built for nine communities and connecting three communities to the national electricity grid in 2024,” he noted.
Chairman Darboe said that amount was doubled in 2025 to D28 million resulting in each ward receiving D1 million each.
“This disbursement has resulted in the implementation of 28 boreholes in the region, enabling another 20 communities to have access to clean drinkable waters; additional eight market sheds were built for ten communities and connecting 3 communities to the national electricity grid in 2025.”
The 28 wards are as follows: Sintet, Wassadu, Mayork, Bantanjang, Kanilai, Bwiam, Kusamai, Sibanor, Somita, Bullock, Kafuta, Pirang, Giboro, Kembujeh, Nyambai, Suba, Marakissa, Kartong, Gunjur, Sanyang, Sukuta, Bijilo, Brufut, Jabang, Kunkujang Keitaya, Wellingara & Nema, Lamin and Banjulinding Wards.
