The European Union and the Government of The Gambia today signed a 20-million-euro (approximately 1.7 billion dalasi) financing agreement for the “EU Support to Improve Secondary Education for the Youth” (EU-ISEY) programme, aimed at dramatically raising senior secondary school completion rates and closing stubborn gender and socioeconomic gaps, particularly in rural areas.
The agreement was inked at the Atlantic Hotel in Banjul by EU Ambassador Immaculada Roca i Cortés and Finance Minister Hon. Seedy K.M. Keita, in the presence of senior officials from the Ministries of Basic and Secondary Education, Higher Education, the newly established University of Education, The Gambia, and the EU Gambia Partnership Office.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Keita described the funding as “a clear testament of the shared vision” of President Adama Barrow’s administration to deliver accessible, equitable, and quality education in line with the National Development Plan and the Education Sector Strategic Plan 2016–2030.
“This programme directly supports human capital development, job creation, poverty reduction, and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 8,” Keita added.
Minister of Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Habbibatou Drammeh, struck an emotional tone: “Imagine the joy of a young girl in a rural village, once barred by tradition and hardship, now stepping into a classroom equipped with science labs and digital tools, her eyes alight with possibility. This is the promise of EU-ISEY – to heal wounds of exclusion and weave a future of dignity for generations yet unborn.”
Higher Education Minister Prof. Pierre Gomez hailed the timing of the initiative, noting it dovetails with the historic transformation of Gambia College into the University of Education, The Gambia (UEG). “We are upgrading all teacher-training programmes to full degree level, aligning with global best practices. Quality teachers are the foundation of any successful education system,” he said.
EU Ambassador to the Gambia, Roca i Cortés, underlined the EU’s priorities: “This programme places teachers at its core because they are the real catalysts for change. We will pay special attention to girls, students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and learners with disabilities so that truly no one is left behind.”
The EU-ISEY initiative forms part of the European Union’s 2021–2027 Multi-Annual Indicative Programme for The Gambia and directly supports the bloc’s Gender Action Plan III and the UN Sustainable Development Goals on education (SDG 4) and gender equality (SDG 5).
The European Union has been one of The Gambia’s largest and most consistent development partners, with education remaining a flagship area of cooperation alongside governance, agriculture, and green energy.
Today’s 1.7 billion dalasi boost is expected to fund infrastructure upgrades, teacher training, digital learning tools, and targeted scholarships, with a deliberate focus on keeping rural girls and marginalised students in school through Grade 12.
