Economist Ousman Gajigo Criticizes Foreign Affairs Budget as “Misallocation of Public Resources”

By Makutu Manneh

Dr. Ousman Gajigo, a prominent development economist and senior member of the Gambia for All party, has sharply criticized the government’s proposed budget for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation, and Gambians Abroad, labeling it a significant misallocation of state resources.

Speaking in a recent interview on West Coast Radio, Dr. Gajigo took issue with the ministry’s recurrent expenditure, which exceeds D2 billion. He questioned the value derived from such a high allocation, suggesting that the ministry’s core functions could be effectively carried out with significantly less funding.

“D1.5 billion is just wasted,” Dr. Gajigo asserted. He pointed to the country’s extensive diplomatic network as a primary example of inefficiency. “We have embassies in many parts of the world where they are not performing any role. We will have two embassies close to each other where there are only a few Gambians. The rest of the time you go to these embassies, you will find them doing nothing,” he stated.

This financial inefficiency, he argued, has direct consequences for the nation’s fiscal health. Dr. Gajigo noted that due to persistent budget deficits, the government is forced to borrow funds simply to cover the salaries of personnel he described as underutilized.

Beyond the foreign ministry, Dr. Gajigo raised broader concerns about The Gambia’s budgetary process. He highlighted a chronic lack of “budget credibility,” where actual government spending consistently deviates from the approved fiscal plan. “A budget is supposed to be a blueprint for development, outlining investments in key sectors. In The Gambia, that plan is routinely ignored,” he explained.

He also decried the government’s disproportionate focus on recurrent expenditure—such as salaries and overheads—at the expense of capital projects that could spur long-term economic growth. This systemic issue, he suggested, stems from a failure in leadership.

“When you have a leadership failure at the top, everyone knows what the solution is, but it is never actually implemented,” Dr. Gajigo said.

Citing the agricultural sector as an example, he noted that while the technical knowledge to boost productivity is readily available, the political will to implement necessary policies is lacking. “The question is not whether we know what to do, but whether the government is doing what it is supposed to be doing,” he concluded.