By Olimatou Coker
Stakeholders have validated the revised communication strategy and training need assessment for the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) project, aligning with the Nagoya Protocol. The validation workshop, held at the National Nutrition Agency (NaNA), brought together key stakeholders, including government officials, community leaders, researchers, and ABS experts.
Abubacarr Kujabi, Coordinator of the ABS/Nagoya project, emphasised that the meeting aimed to review and refine the documents, capturing any overlooked issues to develop a sound and implementable communication strategy and comprehensive training program.
“The role of protected areas in preserving biodiversity is becoming increasingly important, and this responsibility cannot be effectively fulfilled without the full collaboration of stakeholders, particularly the primary users of these resources,” Kujabi said.
Kujabi expressed gratitude to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for supporting the ABS project, which facilitates the effective implementation of the Nagoya Protocol under the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity. “Let’s not consider this a project document, but a national document,” he urged, emphasising the need for stakeholders to continue using the communication strategy to ensure biodiversity conservation in The Gambia is well communicated to stakeholders.
Abdoulie Saho, Representative of the Director of Parks and Wildlife, highlighted the importance of the validation workshop in strengthening awareness and consultation on effective approaches to addressing environmental issues, particularly biodiversity. “The validation works of today aim to capture and document new views and perceptions that will contribute significantly to improving the quality of both reports and strengthening our collaboration throughout the implementation of the project,” he said.
Prof Kayodeh Adekeye, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Teaching and Learning, University of The Gambia, advised participants to contribute actively to make the documents acceptable to all. “Your contribution is very key; scrutinise the documents and speak when necessary, because once approved, it becomes a national document,” he said, emphasising the project’s focus on addressing grassroots issues.
Nuha Jammeh, Focal Person for the Nagoya Project in The Gambia, also spoke at the event. The project, implemented by the Department of Parks and Wildlife Management in collaboration with the National Environment Agency, aims to ensure fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources, funded by GEF.
