Gambia Launches National TVET Curriculum to Strengthen Financial Cooperatives and Microfinance Sector

By Seedy Jobe

The Gambia on Friday unveiled a new national technical and vocational education curriculum aimed at professionalizing the country’s financial cooperatives and microfinance institutions, a move officials and development partners say could strengthen financial inclusion and improve service delivery across the sector.

The launch of the National TVET Curriculum for Financial Cooperatives and Microfinance Institutions, held at a hotel in Bakau, brought together government officials, financial regulators, development partners, and industry leaders who described the initiative as a significant step toward aligning vocational education with the evolving needs of the labor market.

The curriculum is designed to equip current and future professionals in the cooperative and microfinance industry with practical skills in financial management, governance, digital technologies, risk assessment and customer service — competencies increasingly viewed as essential in a rapidly changing financial landscape.

Representing the Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Dr. Momodou Lamin Tara, chief executive officer of the National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority, said the launch reflected a broader national effort to reposition technical and vocational education as a driver of economic development.

“This event marks far more than the unveiling of a curriculum document. It represents another important milestone in our collective effort to transform technical and vocational education and training into a dynamic engine for economic growth, job creation and national development,” he said.

For decades, vocational education in many parts of Africa has struggled to shed perceptions that it serves as a secondary pathway to academic learning. Gambian officials say that view is changing as employers increasingly seek workers with specialized technical skills and practical experience.

Dr. Tara said the new curriculum was developed through extensive consultations with stakeholders and has been aligned with the Gambia National Qualifications Framework to ensure consistency, quality assurance, and pathways for career progression.

Its competency-based structure, he said, is intended to ensure that graduates possess skills directly relevant to workplace demands.

“Its true value will be measured by the competence of the graduates it produces, the quality of services delivered by financial institutions and the positive impact it has on communities across the country,” he said.

The initiative has also drawn support from international partners who view workforce development as closely linked to financial inclusion and economic resilience.

Speaking at the ceremony, Germany’s ambassador to The Gambia, H.E. Klaus Botzet, argued that strengthening financial institutions requires investment not only in capital but also in human capacity.

“If we want stronger financial cooperatives and a more resilient microfinance sector, we must invest not only in capital, but also in capability. When young people and women gain job-relevant skills, they become more bankable, more investable, and better prepared to use credit productively,” he said.

He emphasized that vocational training should extend beyond traditional trades and include entrepreneurship, digital literacy and business management, while also creating pathways that connect graduates to mentorship opportunities, financial products and business development support.

Industry leaders said the curriculum addresses a longstanding challenge within the sector: the shortage of adequately trained personnel capable of guiding clients through increasingly complex financial products and services.

Felix Amoako Boampong, country representative of DSIK, recounted the experience of a woman in the West Coast Region who lost confidence in a credit union after an officer was unable to provide basic guidance on a loan application.

“We talk a great deal about financial inclusion in the Gambia, but how can we expand financial inclusion without competent staff?” Mr. Boampong said. “You can open a thousand branches, issue millions of loans, have millions of savings accounts, but if the person behind the counter cannot answer or offer support to people like Fatou in the West Coast region of the Gambia, then all our efforts will prove futile.”

The curriculum’s introduction also reflects the growing sophistication of the cooperative finance sector, which has expanded significantly in recent years under increasing regulatory oversight and digital transformation.

Foday Sanyang, chief executive officer of the National Association of Cooperative Credit Unions of The Gambia (NACCUG), said the industry has evolved far beyond its origins as a largely volunteer-driven movement.

“Today, members expect digital financial services, strong governance, prudent lending practises, regulatory compliance, timely financial reporting, and professional member service,” Mr. Sanyang said. “Good intentions alone are no longer sufficient. Commitment remains important, but commitment must be matched with competence.”

He added that effective regulation alone cannot guarantee strong institutions.

“Strong institutions require competent people,” he said. “They require leaders, managers, staff, directors and supervisory committee members who possess the knowledge, skill and professional judgment needed to operate effectively.”

Officials said the curriculum lays the foundation for a more professional and inclusive financial services sector but cautioned that its impact will depend on implementation. Success, they said, will require sustained partnerships between training institutions, regulators and industry stakeholders, as well as efforts to connect graduates with employment, entrepreneurship and financial service opportunities.

As The Gambia seeks to expand access to finance and deepen economic participation, policymakers hope the new curriculum will help build a workforce capable of supporting the country’s development ambitions while strengthening confidence in its cooperative and microfinance institutions.