By Makutu Manneh
Hamat N.K. Bah, the Minister of Lands, Regional Government and Religious Affairs, urged Niumi residents to refrain from selling land to foreigners, warning that continued sales could leave future generations without land.
Bah made the remarks Thursday in Passy Chally during President Adama Barrow’s Meet the People Tour of the North Bank Region.
The minister said land acquisition in the region had become a growing concern, adding that he had repeatedly raised the issue with the governor and district chiefs, known locally as Seyfolu.
According to Bah, wealthy buyers have acquired significant amounts of land in Foni and Kombo and are increasingly turning their attention to Niumi.
“Do not sell your lands for small amounts of money,” Bah said. “The new land policy provides that every Gambian will be issued a title to the land they own, which can be used as collateral to secure loans from banks and do the work you want.”
Bah also alleged that some foreign nationals were using Gambians as proxies to acquire land. He said that in some cases, land is allocated to a Gambian who subsequently grants an irrevocable power of attorney to a foreign national.
The minister said several such cases had come before him and that he would neither sign nor authorize them.
He warned that if the practice continues unchecked, future generations could be left without sufficient land for farming, housing, and other economic activities.
Bah called on Seyfolu, Alikalolu, governors, and other officials involved in land administration to prevent land from being allocated to foreigners through such arrangements.
He said foreign investors seeking land should instead go through the Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency, or GIEPA, and obtain land through lease agreements.
He said such arrangements would allow investors to use the land for an agreed period while ensuring it ultimately reverts to the community.
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