By Mariama Marong
The Gambia Tourism Diversification and Resilience Project (TDRGP) has recently graduated Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the tourism value chain to ensure inclusion by building their capacity. The project, which is a World Bank-funded initiative, graduated 57 personnel at a ceremony held at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Centre. The graduates were awarded $1.4 million to be shared among them to uplift their businesses. However, the presentation of the said grant was done by President Adama Barrow at the State House.
At the launch of the project in November 2022, a comprehensive mapping was conducted on the tourism ecosystem to analyse how MSMEs thrive in the sector. This data-driven analysis laid the foundation for tailored business support interventions.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Abdoulie Joof, highlighted the importance of the event, describing it as a bold ambition or project that will fundamentally transform their tourism landscape.
Mr. Joof said the World Bank-funded initiative, made possible through IDA grant financing, represents a strategic partnership between global development expertise and their local implementation capacity through the Ministry’s Project Implementation Unit.
“At the heart of this ambitious undertaking lies the MSME Matching Grant Program, which is a carefully designed intervention that will allocate $9 million to specifically empower the backbone of our tourism economy. The wisdom of this allocation is evident. While $4 million ensures professional program management by IBF International in a joint venture with a number of firms who were hired in October 2023 as the Management Company to provide support to the MSMEs right up to the end of the project, on the other hand, the lion’s share of $5 million flows directly to our tourism entrepreneurs as catalytic grants,” Mr. Joof said.
He said the program is truly transformative in a comprehensive approach, noting that they have recognised early that financial support alone would not suffice, and therefore built a holistic ecosystem of empowerment, by combining rigorous selection with intensive capacity building, while creating vital market linkages with established industry players at the same time.
Minister Joof said their mastery of business formalisation processes, financial management systems and digital tools simultaneously elevates their service standards and sustainability practices.
“57 of them, representing 92% of the cohort, met the stringent 70% compliance threshold. This is a testament to their dedication and the program’s effectiveness,” Mr. Joof said.
He said MSMEs have embodied the resilient spirit of Gambian entrepreneurship. He, however, said that grants are not endpoints but springboards to greater achievements, and urged them to use their grants wisely to innovate, expand and set new benchmarks for excellence. He also commended their partners for their willingness to mentor and integrate the selected enterprises into the supply chains, which, according to him, demonstrates enlightened leadership.
“This symbiotic relationship between established players and emerging entrepreneurs is the foundation of a truly sustainable tourism ecosystem,” Mr. Joof said.
For his part, the World Bank Group Country Representative, Mr. Franklin Mutahakana, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to support The Gambia’s tourism sector: “The World Bank remains dedicated to building the capacity of at least 200 tourism-related MSMEs through the project, contributing to economic growth and job creation in The Gambia with particular emphasis on women’s economic empowerment and youth employment creation.”
He said MSMEs are cornerstones of the Gambian economy, which represent innovation, resilience and the aspirations of the people. Through the program, he said over 200 enterprises will receive tailored support to strengthen their managerial capacity, improve their access to markets, and enhance their competitiveness. He said these are not just business milestones, but they are building blocks of national progress. He noted that the World Bank is proud to support this initiative as part of its broader commitment to foster private sector-led growth in The Gambia.
“This aligns with our strategic priorities under the Gambia Tourism Project and our ongoing efforts to promote job creation, economic diversification and resilience,” he said.
Mr. Washingtone Koech, IBF Expertise Project Manager, also delivered a statement highlighting the implementation progress as a significant milestone achieved during the capacity-building phase. He emphasised the strategic approach taken by the technical team to ensure that MSMEs gain relevant skills and expertise to enhance their business operations and sustainability within the tourism value chain. He expressed his gratitude to the World Bank, the Ministry of Tourism and the PIU, and acknowledged the support of the implementation partners SPI, Target Euro and RCM.
Momodou Ceesay, TDRGP Project Director, expressed satisfaction with the progress made so far. He added: “The success of our first cohort demonstrates the incredible potential within the tourism sector.’’
According to him, ‘‘these MSMEs are now better positioned to strengthen their supply relationships with lead firms in the industry.”
Ceesay said the ‘Yokuté’ Accelerator Program directly addresses the constraints through a firm approach that links smaller enterprises with larger industry players to foster inclusive value chains.
