Bensouda Says ‘Growth Alone Is Not Enough,’ Pledges Jobs, Reliable Energy, and Accountability

By Seedy Jobe

Coalition 2026 flagbearer Talib Ahmed Bensouda said The Gambia’s economic growth must translate into better living conditions, jobs, and opportunities for ordinary citizens, as he outlined his coalition’s priorities ahead of the 2026 presidential election.

Speaking at the signing of Coalition 2026’s memorandum of understanding, Mr. Bensouda pointed to what he described as the economic pressures facing Gambian households, citing an inflation of 7 percent in July 2026, a national poverty rate of 53.4 percent, and food insecurity affecting 24 percent of the population.

Behind those figures, he said, are families making difficult choices, mothers stretching household budgets, and young people being forced to put their ambitions on hold.

Mr. Bensouda welcomed the World Bank’s estimate that the Gambian economy grew by 5.9 percent in 2025, but argued that economic growth alone was not enough if households and businesses were not feeling its benefits.

“Our objective must not be to just grow, but to create jobs, raise incomes, and expand opportunity,” he said.

Mr. Bensouda placed youth employment at the center of his economic message, describing it as one of the country’s most pressing challenges. He said many young Gambians would prefer to build businesses, acquire skills, and raise their families at home rather than seek opportunities abroad.

Addressing that challenge, he said, would require greater investment in skills training and apprenticeships, as well as agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing. He also called for a stronger private sector capable of creating jobs on a large scale.

Mr. Bensouda said women’s economic exclusion was also holding back the country’s development. He called for greater access to financing, land, markets, childcare, and technology to enable more women to participate fully in the economy.

He also turned to the country’s electricity problems, describing unreliable power as a serious impediment to health care, education, and business. With electricity access at just over 65 percent as of 2022, he said unreliable power was also contributing to poor educational outcomes.

Coalition 2026, he said, would treat reliable electricity as essential to education and economic development, with investments in power generation and distribution as well as renewable energy for schools and communities.

Mr. Bensouda framed the 2026 presidential election as a choice over the country’s direction, saying voters should expect a government that provides reliable electricity, expands economic opportunities for women and young people, improves public safety, and strengthens accountability.

He pledged what he described as an approach centered on confronting the country’s problems openly, setting measurable goals, and holding government officials accountable for results.

“We will change the government. We will be tough on crime. We will criminalize tribalism. And we will unite the people for progress, peace, and prosperity,” he said.

Mr. Bensouda said his decision to accept the coalition’s leadership was not driven by personal ambition or political revenge, but by his belief that Gambians were capable of building a better country.

He said the coalition would seek to turn that belief into a government focused on jobs, opportunity, reliable public services and measurable results.