By Fatou Sillah
The Gambia’s information minister said researchers and organizations conducting public opinion polls could be required to obtain clearance from a proposed national research council under legislation recently approved by the cabinet.
Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, the Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, made the comments in an interview with West Coast Radio while discussing the National Research Development and Innovation Council Bill, 2026.
The legislation would establish a national body to coordinate and regulate research and innovation in The Gambia, introducing greater government oversight of research activities conducted in the country.
Asked whether organizations conducting opinion polls would need to obtain clearance from the proposed council, Dr. Ceesay said they could fall within its mandate.
“Yes, I would assume so,” he said.
The comment raises the possibility that political and public opinion polling, including surveys conducted ahead of elections, could become subject to a formal approval or clearance process if the legislation is enacted and ultimately interpreted to cover such activities.
Dr. Ceesay said the legislation was intended to address what the government considers a significant gap in The Gambia’s legal and institutional framework for overseeing research.
Under the current system, he said, researchers can enter communities, interview residents, and collect data without first going through a national institution responsible for ensuring that their work complies with ethical and legal standards.
“Anybody can come into this country, go to any village, start interviewing people, start collecting their data, start doing research which is not acceptable, and so on and so forth,” Dr. Ceesay said. “We are trying to regulate that to ensure that all research that is done in this country is in line with legal frameworks.”
The proposed council would form part of the government’s broader effort to establish a national framework for research, development, and innovation, while setting standards for how research is conducted and governed.
It was not immediately clear from Dr. Ceesay’s comments what a clearance system would entail, what criteria would be used in approving research or opinion polls, or whether the council would have the authority to reject, delay, or impose conditions on proposed studies.
Those details could become particularly significant for independent researchers, universities, civil society organizations, and groups conducting political polling, particularly as The Gambia approaches elections and surveys increasingly feature in public debate.
The cabinet has approved the bill, but it has not yet become law. The legislation is expected to proceed to the National Assembly, where lawmakers will have an opportunity to debate its provisions before deciding whether to approve it.
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