By Kebba Ansu Manneh
The National Council for Civic Education (NCCE) kicked off a two-day capacity-building workshop on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at the Regional Education Directorate Hall in Brikama, training 25 stakeholders from community organizations, media, marginalized groups, and local agencies on lobbying and advocacy skills to demand inclusion and defend participatory rights.
Themed “Advocacy Playbook: Demand Rights and Influence Policy,” the session marks the latest in a nationwide rollout across The Gambia’s seven regions—Upper River Region (URR), Central River Region (CRR), Lower River Region (LRR), North Bank Region (NBR), West Coast Region (WCR), Banjul, and Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC). Building on prior engagements in URR and LRR, the program targets 150 participants overall, including community-based organizations, civil society groups (CSOs), individuals, media practitioners, and representatives from women, youth, persons with disabilities, and minority communities.
In his opening remarks, NCCE Program Manager Ansumana Ceesay emphasized the initiative’s goal: “This training strengthens participants’ ability to engage in strategic, effective advocacy and lobbying by equipping them with knowledge and skills to demand inclusion and defend rights to participation.” He defined advocacy as “supporting or promoting a cause to influence decisions, policies, or practices for positive change,” while lobbying involves “engaging decision-makers directly, persuasively, respectfully, and persistently.”
Ceesay highlighted the underrepresentation of marginalized voices in decision-making spaces, stating, “For too long, women, youth, persons with disabilities, and minority communities have been sidelined. This training provides practical tools, strategies, and real-world examples to empower effective advocacy. He urged participants to act as “bridges between grassroots and policy tables,” stressing that “civic engagement is not just a right, but a responsibility” for building a just, accountable democracy.
“You are drivers of grassroots democracy, watchdogs of accountability, and messengers of inclusive development,” Ceesay added. “Let this be a movement of action, networking, and collective commitment to a Gambia where every voice matters.”
The NCCE expressed gratitude to the Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (TANGO) and the EU-UNDP Great project for their funding, urging trainees to disseminate the skills they have learned widely for maximum impact.
Presiding over the opening, Lamin Mondo Jatta, Chief of Brikama North, described the intervention as “timely,” particularly for the youth. He advocated dialogue over protests to avoid infiltration by criminals, saying, “Youth should engage authorities constructively to resolve national issues and promote peace and harmony.”
The workshop continues today, focusing on evidence-based alliances, policy influence, and community mobilization. NCCE officials say the program advances participatory governance, ensuring no one is left behind in The Gambia’s democratic progress.
