Veteran businessman and former President of the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ambassador Abdoulie M. Touray, shares this policy advisory note on stakeholders vs shareholders.

His insightful publication delves into the importance of a fully functional stock exchange market.

More in this expert publication.

The press recently quoted the Central Bank of The Gambia (CBG) announcing a cut to its monetary policy rate (MPR). The MPR is one of the key tools of monetary policy, and it is the interest rate set by the CBG to manage and guide market interest rates. Within the same press report, the CBG projected strong economic growth.

More in this article.

The government's annual purchase of groundnuts from farmers is not a long-term viable strategy. It is fiscally draining, has been short-changing farmers, and is a commercial activity for which government entities are ill-suited. It is high time the country implements a strategy that meets the modern needs of the Gambian economy and of farmers in particular.

More in this article.

Recently, the government announced a temporary restriction on the importation of potatoes and onions, ostensibly to protect local producers. On the surface, this seems like a good decision. However, on closer inspection, it is not the action of a government that is serious about supporting local industry or farmers, particularly smallholders.

More in this article.

Dr Ousman Gajigo observes that Tourists staying in Gambian hotels are increasingly crossing into Senegal for nature and cultural experiences that should be found at home, exposing a costly leakage in the country’s tourism economy.

From the neglect of Abuko Nature Reserve and Sindola Safari Park to poor integration with agriculture and local communities, government inaction has left the sector shallow and enclave-driven, argues Dr Gajigo.

As arrivals become the sole metric of success, the deeper value of tourism—jobs, linkages, and shared prosperity—continues to diminish. More in this opinion piece.

After the government issued a statement setting the price of groundnut at D38,000 per tonne and creating a monopoly on Gambian groundnuts, numerous critics highlighted that the price has remained stagnant for three years while the cost of living continues to increase.

One critic, Dr Gajigo, has followed this up with a publication calling for a wake-up call for a national discussion on the price of groundnuts for farmers. He argues, “There are many reasons why” this year’s “price is extremely low given the Gambian context.”

Find out his reasons in this opinion piece.

Newspapers recently reported that the government of The Gambia still owes Karpowership an arrear of $19.6 million. That amount is nothing compared to what the government of Adama Barrow has squandered in its dealings with this company. Karpowership is a Turkish company that owns a fleet of ships from which it sells electricity – basically an electricity company with floating power plants. The government of The Gambia bought electricity from this company for seven years between 2018 and 2024. More in this opinion piece.

The Gambia’s cement shortages have become so routine that they no longer shock anyone. Yet behind this “never-ending crisis” lies a manufactured problem—one driven by government decisions that favour a well-connected business over the national interest. More in this opinion piece.

The Gambian government’s decision to set the 2025/2026 groundnut purchase price at D38,000 per tonne has sparked criticism from agricultural economist Dr. Ousman Gajigo, who says the rate leaves farmers underpaid and accelerates the steady collapse of groundnut production. More in this expert opinion.

Across the country, women gardeners continue to coax life out of parched soils and ageing wells, yet their contribution to national food security barely registers in official planning. Vegetable gardening remains the forgotten pillar of Gambian agriculture. More in this opinion piece.