By Fatou Sillah
The Gambian government is moving to recalibrate its digital economy strategy to favor domestic technology firms, the minister of communication and digital economy, Lamin Jabbi, said in an interview, signaling a shift toward policies that strengthen local participation in a rapidly expanding sector.
Speaking to West Radio, Mr. Jabbi said the government intends to ensure that Gambian businesses are given priority in the awarding of public contracts and access to digital opportunities, provided they demonstrate the capacity to deliver.
“We are now shifting the policy to make sure that we give priority to Gambian businesses. I’m not saying Gambians per se, but Gambian businesses, and preferably Gambians,” he said. “If they can actually do it and deliver, that’s what we want to do.”
The minister described the shift as both corrective and strategic. Within months of taking office, he said, he observed a pattern in which government procurements in the digital sector were frequently awarded to foreign firms, with limited participation from local companies.
“When I came in within the second month, I was looking at almost anything we were trying to do, any procurement; we looked outside The Gambia. I thought it was necessary to really look at our local content,” he said.
In response, Mr. Jabbi convened a broad consultation with software developers, application designers, and other stakeholders across the country’s digital ecosystem. The daylong session, he said, was intended to identify barriers preventing local firms from competing for government contracts.
“The first thing I did was call for a special meeting with all the key stakeholders in this ecosystem, particularly software developers, application developers, and those within that value chain. We had a whole-day session, and I challenged them to tell me why they are not participating in most of these things,” he said.
Central to that effort is pending legislation designed to protect and promote local content in the digital sector. While details of the bill remain under review, the minister indicated it would formalize preferences for Gambian-owned and operated businesses, while still allowing room for foreign or non-Gambian-owned firms registered in the country that demonstrate clear benefits to citizens.
“A business owned by Gambians, established by Gambians in The Gambia, and operated by Gambians—that is our first preference. But even businesses registered here, though not necessarily owned by Gambians, can also benefit if they positively impact Gambians,” he said.
The broader objective, Mr. Jabbi said, is to ensure that the economic gains from digital transformation are more widely retained within the country. When foreign firms secure contracts and repatriate profits, he noted, the local economy captures only a fraction of the potential value.
“We want Gambian businesses to participate more,” he said, “because when outsiders come, get the contracts and leave, the local economy does not benefit as much as it should.”
Comments are closed.