The Ministry of Environment-MECCNAR through the Rural Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resilience Building Project (RICAR), recently hosted a three-day private sector engagement forum on the theme “Leveraging Private Sector Involvement for Resilient Rural Entrepreneurship Grantees.”
The event, hosted from January 21st to 23rd, 2026, at the Ocean Bay Hotel in Bakau, aims to create a platform for networking, knowledge sharing, and exchange to amplify and complement the efforts of project beneficiaries in promoting economic growth.
Ebrima Jawara, Permanent Secretary, MECCNAR, commended private sector partners for their leadership, expertise, and commitment to building a locally driven, commercially viable, and sustainable economy.
He also extended appreciation to the United Nations for its technical partnership, which combines international expertise with national institutional strengths to deliver tailored solutions.
Aji Oulaye Njie, RICAR Project Coordinator, stated that the project demonstrates that sustainable resilience is built through economic and knowledge empowerment of communities.
“Women and youth change agents were identified, trained, and supported to deliver essential climate and agricultural services in their communities. Their voluntary efforts were transitioned into viable rural enterprises through targeted financing, business development support, and the Rural Resilience and Entrepreneurship Award,” she said.
She added that with oversight from a multi-stakeholder committee led by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, selected enterprises were vetted for commercial, technical, and environmental viability.
The supported businesses, spanning livestock production, agroforestry, and forestry services, received specialised training and are now being integrated into national value chains through business linkages, financial inclusion, and digital integration, showcasing climate adaptation as a sustainable business opportunity.
Njundu Fatty, President of the the Gambia Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI), said the forum highlights a policy shift that connects climate resilience, rural development, and youth entrepreneurship as pillars of national development.
He stressed that sustainable growth requires active private sector engagement to mobilise investment, strengthen value chains, and scale climate-resilient enterprises, noting that rural youth are key drivers of innovation in agriculture, renewable energy, and agribusiness.
The forum, he added, aims to turn policy commitments into practical partnerships by addressing finance, regulation, and investment barriers.
Baboucarr Kebbeh, Chief Executive Officer of the Gambia Startup Chamber of Commerce (GSCC), highlighted the importance of regular stakeholder engagements with partners and members to strengthen collaboration and knowledge sharing.
He outlined the GSCC roadmap, which focuses on empowering its members and regional coordinators, strengthening private sector participation in climate-resilient entrepreneurship, and creating sustainable linkages between rural enterprises and national value chains.
