By Fatou Sillah
Trust Bank awarded 240,000 Gambian dalasis in cash prizes to the top 10 performers on the country’s recent Grade 9 national examinations, part of a broader effort to reward academic excellence and invest in the country’s next generation of leaders.
The Excellence in the Millennium Awards ceremony, held at a hotel in Kololi, recognized students who achieved the highest scores on the Gambia Basic Education Certificate Examination (GABECE). Each of the 10 students received a certificate, a tablet, a cash prize of 20,000 dalasis, and other supplies.
Among the awardees, seven were girls, and three were boys—a reflection, bank officials said, of strong academic performance by female students in this year’s cohort.
An additional 25,000 dalasis was given to Mansa Colley Bojang Upper Basic School, the educational institution that produced the highest number of awardees. One of its students, Ebrima Ngum, who was named the top performer in the examination, received an extra 15,000 dalasis. In total, the bank distributed 240,000 dalasis.
“We are not simply rewarding academic achievement; we are investing in leadership, innovation, and the future development of The Gambia,” Njilan Senghore, the bank’s managing director, said at the ceremony.
Ms. Senghore urged the students—in particular the girls—to “dream boldly and lead with confidence,” adding that education remains “one of the greatest investments any nation can make.”
The event drew remarks from senior education officials. Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Basic and Secondary Education, Deputy Permanent Secretary Ousman Bah emphasized the role of academic opportunity in national development and thanked the bank for its support.
Sylvester Gomez, speaking for the West African Examinations Council, said the council was “proud to be associated” with the awards, which he said helped promote educational excellence across the country.
The top 10 awardees, in addition to Mr. Ngum, included Assan Cham, Abisah Ken Joof, Manjor Peace Mariama, Mariama Mendy, and Nyimasatou Cham—all from Mansa Colley Bojang Upper Basic School. The remaining recipients were Haddijatou Ceesay of Bright Star Basic Cycle; Fakebba Amuesi of Anne Marie River Upper Basic School; Elizabeth Mary Leigh of Gambia Methodist Academy; and Hafsatou Jallow of Charles Jow Memorial School.
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