By Fatou Dahaba
The Government of The Gambia has signed contracts valued at more than D100 million to extend electricity to ten communities in the West Coast Region, advancing a national push to close remaining access gaps and support rapidly growing settlements around the Greater Banjul Area.
The agreements, covering Lots 1, 2 and 3 of the Greater Banjul Area Electricity Access Project, were signed on Friday at the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mines. The government fully financed the project. It is aimed at communities that were left out of earlier electrification programs or that have emerged through recent settlement expansion inside zones already connected to the grid.
Officials said the works form part of the broader national target of achieving universal electricity access by 2028. The intervention is also intended to meet rising demand for utility services in peri-urban communities experiencing fast population growth, and to complement recent road investments that have opened several settlements to residential and commercial development.
Delivering the keynote address, the Minister for Petroleum, Energy and Mines, Hon. Nani Juwara, said the signing demonstrated the government’s commitment to promises made to communities and to the wider electricity expansion agenda. He noted that national electricity access has risen from less than 40 percent before 2017 to more than 90 percent today, attributing the progress to government efforts and support from development partners.
The minister said the project aligns with Pillar Three of the National Development Plan, Yiriwaa, and with the National Energy Sector Master Plan, both of which set universal access as a goal before the end of 2028. He listed the communities expected to benefit as Kunkujang Mariama, Madiana Golf Town, Fala Bachaya, Fala Banding, Jambur Saleh Jindal, Bakary Sambouya, Medina Salam, Rumbang, Badiran, Fofo, Kafuta Tumbong, Faraba Bantang and Jalikasa.
He congratulated the two Gambian contractors selected for the works, Kutehjumble Electrical & Consultancy Company Ltd and Powercon Mouguaw Enterprise, and urged them to deliver quality work on schedule. He also directed the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) to maintain close supervision and enforce strict compliance with technical standards.
Deputy Managing Director of NAWEC, Mr Sampo Ceesay, described the project as a densification effort designed to connect communities in the Greater Banjul Area that remain without power even though they sit near already electrified zones. He confirmed that the total contract value exceeds D100 million and that the works were divided into three lots, with Lot 1 awarded to Kutehjumble and Lots 2 and 3 to Powercon.
Mr Ceesay said demand for electricity in the beneficiary communities has grown because of expanding settlements and improved road access. He added that NAWEC remains committed not only to increasing connections but also to strengthening generation capacity so that supply remains reliable as the network expands.
Speaking on behalf of Kutehjumble, Morro Darboe welcomed the award and pledged that the company would execute the work to the best of its ability and within the agreed timeframe. Oumar Boudid of Powercon Mouguaw Enterprise said materials were largely ready and that, despite possible weather-related delays, the firm was committed to completing the project successfully and on time.
Authorities expect the contracts to translate into new household and commercial connections in settlements that have so far remained outside the formal network, reinforcing recent gains in national access while addressing the specific needs of communities that have grown up alongside existing infrastructure.
