The Gambian Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mines in collaboration with the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC), has begun the series of inauguration of electricity infrastructures completed in five locations of the country as part of the implementation of ECOWAS Regional Electricity Access Project (ECOWAS-REAP).
The inaugurations which began on February 7, 2026, at Njongon, will be held from February 7 – 15, 2026 at different locations within The Gambia, during which other electricity access projects will also be inaugurated.
Declaring the inauguration ceremony officially open, Gambian President Adama BARROW, described the electricity access project as an “unprecedented achievement in The Gambia”, noting that through sustained efforts and partnerships of donors, the project will bring relief to the people and directly transform the daily lives of rural families in the country.
President BARROW further disclosed that through ECOWAS-REAP, The Gambia’s electrification access rate “has increased from 73% to 90%, marking a transformative moment in the nation’s development journey” enabling 52,000 new households connect to power.
The ECOWAS Regional Electricity Access Project (ECOWAS-REAP), which covers the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Mali, is financed by the World Bank and coordinated at regional level by the ECOWAS Directorate of Energy and Mines through a Regional Coordination Unit (RCU) in close coordination with National Project Implementation Unit (PIU) in each country. It forms part of ECOWAS’s broader strategy to expand electricity access, deepen regional energy integration and support sustainable and inclusive development across West Africa. In the Gambia, the project covers 292 communities and will enable 52,000 new households to connect to the national grid.
In his address, the President of ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, described the inauguration as a pivotal milestone in the regional initiative to ensure universal access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity for all communities in ECOWAS region. “It marks the beginning of a new era, full of possibilities for the community and a foundation for development, stability, human dignity, and shared prosperity”.
The President, who was represented by the Resident Representative of ECOWAS to the Gambia, Her Excellency, Miatta French, said the success of the projects being inaugurated demonstrates the collective capacity and strong partnership between ECOWAS, the World Bank, the Government of the Gambia, Ministry of Energy, NAWEC, and all other key stakeholders, to turn financial resources into tangible results.
He also acknowledged the World Bank’s “invaluable support and dedication to the regional energy agenda”, noting that “in addition to accelerating energy access, the Bank is supporting the integration of our electricity network into a unified regional electricity market, which will help us to overcome a major electricity-related challenge in the region.”
With a total investment amount of US$225 million by the World Bank – of which $66 million is dedicated to the Gambia’s electricity access projects, the World Bank’s representative, Matarr Touray, in his remark, stated that ECOWAS-REAP represents “an opportunity to extend modern energy services to rural communities that have historically been left behind, including the construction of 1,500KM of medium and low voltage distribution lines. Beyond the physical infrastructure, the project represents far more – it brings hope, restores dignity, and creates new opportunities for jobs and livelihoods in the communities it serves.”
Speaking on the benefit of the electricity access project to the Gambian population, the Governor of the North Bank region, Chief Imam, and the Alkalo, echoed that the project will empower the communities in the region, enable students study after dark, boost economic activities in the community whilst also promoting innovation among the community members.
ECOWAS, together with the technical and financial partners remain committed to support The Gambia and all Member States toward achieving universal energy access by 2030.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
