By Kebba AF Touray
The Gambia Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending Establishment Project (GAMIRSALEP) hosted a capacity-building session for trainers, focusing on enhancing access to finance and risk management in agricultural lending. The training, which took place on Monday, 30th September 2025, brought together trainers from various institutions to enhance their skills in governance, risk mitigation, digital adoption, and financial access.
The primary objective of the training was to equip trainers to convey critical knowledge to groups and communities within the agricultural sector. By empowering these trainers, GAMIRSALEP aims to increase lending from financial institutions to agricultural value chain actors, thereby expanding access to finance and risk-mitigating tools that can attract more investment into the sector.
Despite numerous policy efforts, access to finance remains a significant challenge for Gambian farmers and agribusinesses, hampering efforts to boost production and productivity. The training also aimed to build the capacity of financial institutions, equipping them with the skills required to assess, finance, and manage agricultural projects more effectively.
Project Consultant Muhamed Gillen shared insights into the origins of GAMIRSALEP, noting that the initiative began in 2021 after a technical team studied Ghana’s GAMESAL project to develop strategies for directing more lending to the agri-sector. The GAMIRSALEP project consists of two main components: a Credit Guarantee Scheme that acts as a risk-sharing facility, and a Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) that supports both financial service providers and agricultural value chain actors.
Gillen emphasized the importance of addressing both supply and demand sides of agricultural finance. “We realized that focusing only on building capacity for banks and financial institutions was not enough. We also needed to equip agri-actors with the skills to access finance, understand agricultural policies, utilize digital tools, and adopt best practices,” he said. He expressed hope that this comprehensive approach would improve the ability of farmers and agribusinesses to secure loans as GAMIRSALEP takes full effect.
Alhgie Nyangado, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, highlighted the significance of the project for the Ministry, stating, “Agriculture, like any other business, cannot thrive without support.” He pointed out the challenges faced by many African farmers, including a lack of collateral, which limits their access to formal banking services. Nyangado stressed that the training would strengthen both institutional and individual capacities, and urged participants to share the knowledge gained to create broader awareness and ensure the success of the project.
The GAMIRSALEP training marks another milestone in The Gambia’s ongoing efforts to de-risk agricultural lending and foster a more inclusive and robust financial ecosystem for the nation’s farmers and agripreneurs.
