By Olimatou Coker
The Yonna Group, a major private sector player in The Gambia with diverse subsidiaries of six sister companies, on Thursday held its end-of-year staff retreat and awards ceremony at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre.
During the event Yonna acknowledged “exceptional performance, celebrated key milestones achieved during the year, and recognised staff members whose dedication has significantly contributed to the group’s overall growth and strategic objectives”.
Ninety-two employees including a brand ambassador and five institutions were given awards.
Malick Gibba, head of IT, was announced as the Most Outstanding Staff of the Year 2025, and was gifted a cash prize of D50,000 and a certificate.
He was recipient of the same award in 2024.
Sylvaajohn Security Services, Social Security & Housing Finance Corporation, Ministry of Gender, Children & Social Welfare, National Nutrition Agency and Medical Research Council received the institutional awards.
Appreciation Award, Marketer of the Year, Special Awards, Risk & Compliance Award, Attendance Award, Proactive (The Rock Stars) Award, Supervisor of the Year Award, Customer Service Award, Commitment & Passionate Award, Dress Code Award, Brand Ambassador Recognition, and the CEO’s Awards were handed out with each recipient receiving high quality damask Getzner textiles and D10,000 cash prize.
As part of their annual tradition, three outstanding staff members, Yankuba Mamburay, Managing Director – Yonna Islamic Microfinance; Ebou L Bittaye, Managing Director Yonna Islamic Insurance; and Fatou Cham, Head of Business Development – Yonna Forex Bureaux, were awarded Hajj tickets for 2026.
Muhammed Manjang, the chairman of the board of directors of the Yonna Group, said when Yonna began its journey many years ago in a small corner shop in Bakau, carrying the name of a humble village in the Central River region, there was a vision rooted in Islamic principles, in service to the community, and in the belief that a Gambian enterprise could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best in the world. “Today, Yonna Group employs over 600 people whose lives are touched by the work we do together; 600 stories of hope, ambition, and dedication. But these numbers tell only a part of our story. The true measure of success as I reflect on 2025, is I am not most proud of our financial achievements or our expanded portfolio; I am most proud of what we have become – a company that remembers its roots, honours its faith and uplifts its people,” he explained
He added that each subsidiary of the group had demonstrated remarkable achievement last year. “Yonna Forex Bureau, our flagship, continues to lead the remittance industry with over 200 payout locations nationwide, bringing financial access to every corner of The Gambia,” he said
Manjang disclosed that Yonna Group is negotiating with the government for Gamcel’s infrastructure modernisation project with the establishment of the group’s seventh company.
Njundu Fatty, president of the GCCI who doubles as the CEO of Salam Financial Services, described Yonna group as a beacon of Gambian enterprise
He stated: “We are gathered to honour effort, to celebrate excellence, and to affirm belief in enterprise, belief in people, and belief in the promise of The Gambia’s private sector,” he explained.
Dr Abubacarr Fatty said the coming of Yonna Group has created job opportunities for Islamic students which were rare.
“Before the coming of Yonna Group, when Islamic students complete universities they only become oustasses or imams or sometimes become jobless but the coming of Yonna has solved that burden,” he said.
Other speakers expressed similar sentiments.
