By Aminata Kuyateh
The second cohort of tourism-related micro, small, and medium enterprises recently graduated under sub-component 1b of the Tourism Diversification and Resilience Project, marking another step to strengthen The Gambia’s tourism value chain.
The event held at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in Bijilo followed months of coaching, training, and mentorship delivered by IBF International in partnership with RCM Gambia. Several businesses are set to receive matching grants of up to $50,000 to improve resilience and position their products and services for procurement by hotels, tour operators, and other industry players.
Funded by the World Bank, the project seeks to build the capacity of more than 200 tourism-related MSMEs to improve productivity, sustainability, resilience, and inclusive growth in the sector. The programme combines training, coaching, mentorship, peer learning, investment readiness preparation, and access to a grant matching scheme. The ceremony also marked the official launch of the third cohort.
Momodou Ceesay, TDRG project director, said the graduation of the second cohort under the Yokute Accelerator Program represents a major milestone. He described the initiative as a success and reviewed the targets set at the start of the project.
Ceesay noted the project aims to increase the share of beneficiary MSMEs securing new or expanded contracts with tourism lead firms to 20 percent by 2026 and 30 percent by June 2027, with at least 20 percent of those businesses owned or led by women.
He reported the programme is ahead of schedule, with 234 MSMEs already receiving capacity building and 126 given in-depth support. By December 2025, about 32 percent of supported firms had secured contracts, while women-led businesses accounted for 59 percent.
IBF Project Manager Washington Koech said more than 95 percent of MSMEs in the second cohort completed the programme. He said the completion rate reflects discipline among participants and effective collaboration between partners.
Koech urged members of the incoming third cohort to take the process seriously and build on the progress made by earlier participants. He stressed that commitment to the programme would determine how well businesses position themselves within the tourism market.
Deputising for the Ministry of Tourism and Arts and Culture, PS Siaka Federa said the accelerator programme is central to government efforts to diversify tourism and expand opportunities beyond the coastal belt.
PS Federa noted that the initiative is helping MSMEs strengthen business practices, improve access to finance, and integrate into the tourism value chain. It added that youth and women remain at the centre of the government’s tourism development strategy.
World Bank representative Franklin Mutahakana said the accelerator is designed to help MSMEs meet industry standards and connect directly with buyers in the tourism sector.
He emphasised that improvements in quality, reliability, record keeping, and digital visibility are essential for building trust with hotels, tour operators, and other lead firms.
Mutahakana urged both graduating businesses and those entering the third cohort to maintain discipline and stay focused on market requirements.
