Invest in ICT in The Gambia
Current State of ICT in The Gambia
The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector in The Gambia has seen significant growth in recent years. The % of the Gambian population using the internet has grown from less than 5% in 2000 to over 50% today. Similarly the number of mobile phone subscriptions has grown from less than .5 million in 2000 to over 2.5 million today. Such growth is forecasted to continue, representing a significant opportunity for investors in the ICT sector.
Government Support
The National Development Plan (NDP) expresses the Government’s commitment to improving the ICT landscape for citizens and businesses alike. The NDP underscores the importance of ICT and commits to undertaking the following ICT-related initiatives: establishing a national data center to strengthen e-government; upgrading the Telecoms Access Network (last-mile connectivity); establishing a National Technology Park to spur research and development; increasing rollout of regional ICT centers to enhance connectivity to schools and communities; achieving digital switch over and analogue switch off; strengthening cyber-security; and enhancing postal service delivery.
The Government recognizes the importance of private sector participation in the economy, both as an engine of growth and as a source of knowledge transfer. As the ICT sector has been targeted as an industry with the potential for growth, the Government has taken proactive efforts liberalize the ICT sector and develop modern ICT legislation.
As stated in the National Development Plan 2018-2021, the goal for ICT is "to harness the benefits of ICT in all sectors of the economy for equitable development".
International Support from the EU
The European Union is currently implementing a 2-year project with over Euro 1 million of funding to provide technical assistance to Gamtel staff and the relevant Gambian authorities in order strengthen the ICT sector of the Gambia. The project began in July 2021 and is due to be completed in 2023. At the end of the project, the staff of Gamtel with the support of Gambian regulatory authorities will have the necessary management and business development skills to scale up its technical solutions for Banjul region towards the rest of The Gambia including the rural areas, leading to 8,000 more people in the Greater Banjul Area being connected to a quality internet service, with a potential to expand to the whole country.
Top 5 Reasons: Why Investors Should Choose The Gambia for ICT
Strong Demand Outlook
The number of mobile phone subscriptions and the % of the population using the internet has grown dramatically over the last 20 years. Such strong growth is forecasted to continue.
Attractive Sectoral Opportunities
The Gambia has promising sectoral opportunities for investors across the ICT value chain.
The top sectors for investments include Mobile Banking, E-education, Broadband Network expansion and more.
Stable Business & ICT Policy Climate
The Gambia has strong macro-economic fundamentals with liberal market-based economy.
The Government of The Gambia has also developed new policies to facilitate growth of the ICT sector, these include the Information and Communications Act (2009) and the Banking Act (2009) among others.
Preferential Market Access
The Gambia continues to benefit from sub-regional re-export trade as industries profit from the country’s liberal trade policies and strategic port location.
The country enjoys preferential market access to key markets such as the European Union, USA, ECOWAS, AGOA, AfCFTA, OIC.
Skilled & Cost Effective Labor
The Gambian workforce is one of the country’s principal assets, spurring considerable enthusiasm among businesspeople, both foreign and domestic.
The University of The Gambia has a variety of ICT and STEM programs at the Bachelors, Masters and PhD level. Over 6,000 students are currently enrolled across all programs at the University.
Source: GIEPA, USAID, World Bank, Knoema
Snapshot of the ICT Sector in The Gambia
51%
of the population in The Gambia using the internet as of 2019
4
Mobile phone operators currently present in The Gambia
2.6
Million mobile cellular subscription in The Gambia as of 2019
6
Internet providers currently present in The Gambia
400+
students enrolled in ICT education programs at the University of The Gambia in 2022
Source: GIEPA, University of The Gambia