inclusive, and resilient GambiaDigital transformation is not a luxury for modern states; it is a necessity. For The Gambia, a country with abundant human capital potential, a strategic location, and strong community bonds, embracing a deliberate and inclusive digital agenda can accelerate development, improve public services, create jobs, and position our nation to compete regionally and globally.
Why digital transformation matters for The Gambia?
Digital technologies change the way governments deliver services, businesses operate, and citizens access information and opportunities. When done well, digital transformation:
· Expands economic opportunity: Digital tools reduce transaction costs, open new markets for Gambian producers and entrepreneurs, and enable new sectors such as digital services, agritech, and tourism tech.
· Improves public services: E-government platforms make health, education, land, and tax services faster, more transparent and less costly for citizens and government alike.
· Increases inclusion: With affordable connectivity and skills training, women, youth, and rural communities can participate in the digital economy.
· Strengthens resilience: Digital systems support crisis response, more efficient public finance management, and better delivery of social protection programs.
Our strengths and the opportunities ahead
The Gambia’s compact geography makes nationwide digital initiatives comparatively easier to implement than in larger countries; our young population is digitally curious and adaptable; our diaspora provides capital and ideas; and our tourism and agricultural sectors can rapidly gain value from targeted digital upgrades. Success stories across Africa, from mobile money adoption in Kenya to ambitious e-government efforts in Rwanda, demonstrate that with clear policy, partnerships, and implementation, rapid progress is possible.
Key challenges to address
To realize these opportunities, we must confront practical challenges: limited broadband coverage and affordability, gaps in digital skills, unreliable electricity in some areas, insufficient digital government infrastructure, the gender digital divide, and risks related to cybersecurity and personal data protection. Overcoming these obstacles requires coordinated action across government, the private sector and civil society.
Astrategic, people-centre approach
Digital transformation must be driven by clear national priorities and deliver tangible benefits to citizens. I propose a strategy that rests on seven strategic pillars:
1. Universal, affordable connectivity
• Accelerate nationwide broadband deployment (fixed and mobile) with particular emphasis on rural and peri-urban communities.
• Encourage competition among service providers and leverage public-private partnerships and shared infrastructure to reduce costs.
• Expand public access points (community Wi‑Fi, libraries, schools and health centres etc.).
2. Modern, user-centre digital government
• Build a secure, central government digital platform for online services (one-stop portal) for permits, payments, social transfers and all other services.
• Digitize critical public records (land, civil registry, health, civil service) with strong privacy and audit controls to improve service delivery and reduce corruption.
• Promote mobile-first service design, recognising that many Gambians access the internet primarily via phones, considering high mobile penetration rate.
A thriving digital economy and MSME support
• Support SMEs and startups with digital skills, access to finance, and market linkages, including digital payment integration.
• Promote digital solutions for agriculture (market information, e-extension services), tourism (online marketing and bookings), and fisheries.
• Encourage fintech and remittance innovations that lower costs and boost financial inclusion.
Human capital and digital literacy
• Integrate digital skills including coding and computational thinking into school curricula and vocational training.
• Invest in teacher training and distance learning platforms to expand educational access.
• Launch inclusive digital literacy programs targeting women, older adults and marginalized
• Trust, governance and security
• Establish clear legal and regulatory frameworks for data protection, cybersecurity and consumer rights that protect citizens while enabling innovation.
• Build national capacity for cybersecurity, incident response and digital forensics.
• Promote transparency through open data initiatives while safeguarding personal information.
Innovation, entrepreneurship and financing
• Create an enabling environment for innovation: incubators, accelerator and aggregators programs, tax incentives for R&D, and partnerships with universities and the diaspora.
• Mobilise financing through blended instruments, public investment, concessional finance, private capital and development partners, to fund infrastructure and skills programs.
• Pilot “digital public goods” such as open-source platforms for education or health that can be scaled nationwide.
Green, resilient digital infrastructure
• Ensure data centers and ICT infrastructure are energy-efficient and resilient to climate impacts.
• Use digital tools for climate information, early warning systems, and to help farmers adapt to changing conditions.
Immediate, practical steps to move from strategy to action, the following immediate steps should be taken:
• Launch a National Digital Transformation Plan with clear milestones and measurable KPIs (connectivity targets, service uptake rates, job creation targets).
• Establish a cross-ministerial digital transformation unit to coordinate implementation and mobilise resources.
• Prioritize digitalizing high-impact services: e-payments for government receipts and social transfers, online business registration, and digital health and education platforms.
• Roll out targeted digital skills training for public servants and priority groups (youth and women entrepreneurs).
• Initiate pilots in selected districts, for example, smart agriculture hubs or digitally enabled tourism communities, and scale what works.
A call to partnership
Government cannot do this alone. Successful digital transformation requires the energy and expertise of the private sector, civil society, development partners, universities, and the Gambian diaspora. We must work collaboratively to design solutions that reflect local realities, protect citizens, and deliver measurable improvements in livelihoods.
Conclusion
Digital transformation is an engine for inclusive growth, better governance, and resilience. If we invest now, wisely and inclusively, in connectivity, skills, secure platforms and innovation, The Gambia can unlock new opportunities for our people, create decent work, and improve the quality of public services. This is not a future to wait for; it is a future to build together.
Signed,
Honourable Ousman Bah
Special adviser to the President of The Gambia on digital economy
