By Assan Bah
The Gambian government on Wednesday defended its port concession agreement with the Turkish company Albayrak, rejecting criticism from opposition leader Ousainu Darboe and asserting that the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) remains entirely state-owned.
Darboe, the leader of the United Democratic Party, had accused the government of effectively selling off national assets, citing the 30-year concession deal that grants Albayrak operational control over the port while the government retains only a 20% stake.
“Our national assets are being gradually sold,” Darboe said at a press conference on Tuesday. “What has happened to our quality of management that we can no longer operate our own ports? Instead, we give them away to a foreign-owned company—practically for free.”
Darboe also raised concerns over previous studies on port expansion, questioning why the government had abandoned past plans.
“Millions were spent on studies that led to relocating Half-Die, costing huge sums in compensation. If those studies were validated, why aren’t they being implemented? Why hand over the port to a private company?”
While he emphasized that he was not against foreign investment, Darboe warned against relinquishing control of strategic national assets.
He charged: “The Senegambia Bridge is also mortgaged—$100 million for 15 years. What if this does not benefit the country?”
He further accused the government of failing to prioritise economic growth in the hands of Gambians.
“This government does not think in a way that will help Gambians control the economy,” he said.
In a statement responding to Darboe’s remarks, the Ministry of Transport, Works, and Infrastructure dismissed his claims as “tastelessly false,” “deliberately misleading,” and an attempt to discredit what it called a transformative business opportunity.
The ministry maintained that the concession agreement was negotiated in “good faith, patriotism, and love for the country,” with guidance from an international advisory firm experienced in large-scale port projects across Europe and Africa.
The statement noted that in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Port of Banjul was significantly smaller, serving a population of under 700,000 and handling fewer than 500,000 tonnes of imports annually. Since the change of government in 2016, port traffic has surged beyond projections, leading to congestion.
The ministry clarified that the concession agreement does not involve any financial contribution from the Gambia government, adding that all fixed assets of the GPA remain state-owned, while Albayrak assumes financial risks and pays the government a percentage of gross revenues.
“Contrary to claims that the port has been sold, all GPA assets remain under government ownership,” the statement said. “The investor is granted the right to operate the port while making regular payments to the state.”
The ministry outlined several benefits of the deal, including a $19 million investment by Albayrak over six years to improve port efficiency through new equipment and infrastructure upgrades. The agreement also requires Albayrak to maintain current port employees under existing terms of employment.
Additionally, the government will retain a 20% stake in the special purpose vehicle (SPV) managing the port, and local content provisions ensure that 1% of the total investment value will be paid to the Gambian government.
“The port remains 100% Gambian government property,” the statement emphasized. “The concession covers only management and operations. Harbor and mooring services remain under government control.”
