By Ramatoulie Jawo
Hon. Hamat N.K. Bah, Minister of Lands, Regional Government, and Religious Affairs, has announced the successful completion of nationwide consultations on The Gambia’s National Land Policy.
The minister made this disclosure at the National Assembly while responding to a question from Hon. Lamin J. Sanneh, the National Assembly Member for Brikama South.
“Hon. speaker, could the Hon. Minister for Lands, Regional Government, and Religious Affairs inform this august assembly as to what stage the ministry is at in preparation of the land policy considering the numerous land issues in the country?” Hon. Sanneh inquired.
In response, Minister Bah stated, “Speaker, I am happy to report to this august Assembly, that consultations leading to the constitution and formulation of the national land Policy across the length and breadth of the country are successfully completed.”
He stated that a draft National Land Policy for 2026–2035 has been prepared and is being circulated among stakeholders to gather their final inputs and feedback, which will help guide the policy’s finalization.
To this end, he announced that a national validation of the policy is scheduled for May 9, 2025, with the participation of Honorable Members.
The draft policy aims to improve and strengthen existing land administration systems and laws by recognizing and incorporating the country’s diverse land tenure categories. It also seeks to enhance the capacities of relevant institutions to mobilize both national and international resources for effective implementation.
Furthermore, the draft policy highlights that The Gambia, with a land area of 11,300 square kilometers, faces significant challenges due to a population growth rate of 3.1 percent per year. If this trend continues, the population is projected to double in 22.3 years (2013–2024 GBOS Census).
“These challenges compounded by the absence of a comprehensive national land policy have led to fragmented, uncoordinated and often conflicting approaches to land governance and management. Land-related conflicts are prevalent, exacerbated by unrecorded competing claims, inconsistent institutional mandates, and complex land registration procedures involving multiple authorities, unequal land access, and weak land use planning,” the draft policy states.
The ministry is expected to finalize the policy following the validation exercise, paving the way for a more structured and efficient land administration framework in the country.