By: Abdoulie John
In a significant move to revitalize international support for West Africa’s largest river basin development initiative, the High Commissioner of the Gambia River Basin Organization (OMVG), Demba Jallow, on Thursday hosted three European plenipotentiaries at the organization’s headquarters in Dakar, Senegal.
The delegation included German Ambassador Kai Baldow, the Austrian Ambassador, and a senior French government official. The courtesy call focused on reshaping and deepening existing cooperation frameworks with key technical and financial partners in the coming years.
A statement from the OMVG described the encounter as “an important opportunity to present the Organization’s mission, strategic priorities, and flagship initiatives while identifying new avenues for collaboration that will directly benefit the four member states – The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal.”
The meeting comes as the OMVG accelerates implementation of transformative energy and infrastructure projects, including the landmark Sambangalou and Kaléta hydroelectric dams and the ongoing interconnection of national electricity grids across the sub-region.
High Commissioner Jallow has repeatedly emphasized that the organization stands at a historic turning point. Speaking earlier this month at the experts’ meeting ahead of the 51st Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers in Conakry, Guinea, he declared: “OMVG is at a turning point in its history. The foundations are solid, the vision is clear, and the potential is immense. The projects we are carrying out are much more than infrastructure; they are vectors of inclusive development, sustainable peace, and successful regional integration.”
Thursday’s diplomatic engagements signal growing European interest in supporting the OMVG’s ambitious agenda, which aims to harness the Gambia River Basin’s resources for shared prosperity, climate resilience, and energy security across the sub-region.
The renewed outreach to development partners is expected to unlock additional funding and technical expertise as the organization prepares for a new phase of large-scale project execution in 2026 and beyond.
