By Madiba Singhateh
The Minister of Environment, Climate Change, and Natural Resources, Rohey John Manjang, on Thursday, 12th June 2025, launched The Gambia’s Proposed Waste Management Plan during a ceremony held at a local hotel.
The plan is part of a collaboration between The Gambia’s National Environment Agency (NEA) and Ghana’s Jospong Group of Companies (JGC), an international waste management firm specializing in solid waste recycling, wastewater treatment, and converting waste into usable products. The Jospong team is currently in The Gambia conducting a pre-feasibility study to assess the state of the country’s waste management system.
Speaking to reporters, Minister Manjang said the proposed plan would undergo thorough review and legal assessment before being submitted to Cabinet for final consideration and approval. She emphasized that the initiative aligns with President Adama Barrow’s directive to find sustainable solutions to the country’s worsening waste crisis.
“The president has made it clear that we cannot have beautiful infrastructure—roads, markets, and buildings—if the surrounding environment is not clean. He tasked us to make the environment livable,” she said. “Though waste management is everyone’s responsibility, the central government must lead the charge. That’s why our ministry is spearheading this initiative in collaboration with local councils and key stakeholders. We are calling on them to engage fully in this validation process, so their technical input and assessments can guide the final document before it reaches Cabinet.”
The minister urged participants to scrutinize the draft plan and pose questions where necessary, noting that the presentation was primarily intended for the local councils. She added that the review focuses on two critical documents: the financial and technical components of the plan.
Also speaking at the event, the Mayor of Kanifing Municipal Council, Talib Ahmed Bensouda, welcomed the minister’s presence as a strong signal of the government’s support. He contextualized the plan within a broader global trend.
“There is an international war on waste, and it is particularly urgent in Africa, where we have the fastest-growing population. With economic development, the amount of waste per person is rising, and urban centers like KMC, Brikama, Basse, and Banjul are now facing a full-blown waste management crisis,” he said. “I believe we are losing this war.”
Mayor Bensouda pointed out that while many councils are making progress in collecting waste, little is being done to process it or extract value from it. “We are merely moving waste to centralized dumpsites. That is not solving the problem,” he said. “I hope we will soon see the establishment of a functional waste management facility in The Gambia, starting with Bakoteh.”
The meeting was attended by the Chairman of Basse Area Council, the representative of Brikama Area Council, and the Executive Director of the National Environment Agency, among other stakeholders.
