Alasana Sowe, Executive Director of the Centre for Good Governance
By Fatou Sillah
The Centre for Good Governance (CGG), a newly established civil society organization, on Wednesday urged Gambian lawmakers to lower the country’s voting age, warning that excluding 16- and 17-year-olds from elections risks deepening political disengagement in a nation dominated by youth.
At a press briefing in the capital, the group unveiled findings from a national policy study on youth participation in Gambian democracy. The report highlighted what it described as a widening “representation gap”: with more than half of Gambians under the age of 25, young people are largely absent from formal political processes, undermining confidence in democratic institutions.
Drawing on Afrobarometer survey data, the report found that roughly half of Gambian youth feel the government is not adequately addressing their needs. Trust in elected bodies, including the National Assembly, remains low among young respondents, the study said. The CGG warned that continued exclusion from voting could entrench disengagement and depress voter turnout over the long term.
Alasana Sowe, executive director of CGG, framed the proposal as a structural reform rather than a symbolic gesture. “Lowering the voting age in The Gambia is not a symbolic reform. It is a strategic investment in democratic sustainability,” he told reporters. “A carefully sequenced approach—beginning with local elections and progressing to parliamentary representation—offers a realistic pathway that strengthens inclusion while safeguarding institutional stability.”
The CGG recommends a phased, voluntary approach. Under the plan, 16- and 17-year-olds could begin participating in local government elections, allowing electoral authorities to test administrative systems, build institutional confidence, and gather evidence to guide national reforms. Presidential elections, the group argued, should be excluded initially because they concentrate executive power and involve high-stakes national and international responsibilities.
“Comparative democratic practice shows that most successful youth enfranchisement reforms begin at local or legislative levels, where stakes are lower, accountability is more immediate, and issue-based learning is strongest,” Mr. Sowe said.
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