The Minister of Petroleum, Energy and Mines, Nani Juwara, has announced significant progress in The Gambia’s oil exploration, electricity expansion, water access, and mineral resource development.
He delivered the update at the government’s ministerial town hall meeting held on Friday at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in Bijilo, attended by state ministers, institutional heads, the media, and members of the public.
Highlighting the petroleum sector, Juwara revealed that The Gambia has generated over 70 million US dollars in revenue since 2017 from licences granted to FAR and Petronas, British Petroleum, and Petronor. “From 1960 to 2018, only one offshore well was drilled in The Gambia. But from 2018 to date, we have drilled two,” he said. Current offshore exploration is focused on Block A4 by Petronor, while the Gambia National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) is finalising agreements for onshore exploration.
Juwara also announced The Gambia’s involvement in the 5,600-kilometre Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline project. “This will pass through several West African countries, including ours, and we have already identified Sanyang as the main landing site, with Batokunku as a backup,” he stated. Domestically, GNPC has expanded fuel access by opening modern mobile stations in Essau and Basse and reconstructing its Kanifing service station.
On electricity access, Juwara reaffirmed the government’s ambitious targets. “We aim to achieve 90 per cent electricity coverage by the end of 2025, and universal access by 2026. No Gambian should be left in darkness,” he stressed. As of last year, 73.7 per cent of households are connected to the national grid, with major electrification projects like GERMP, ECOREAP, and GEAP underway.
To make electricity more affordable, meter installation fees have been reduced from a minimum of D8,500 to just D500. “We want to remove cost barriers and ensure every household can connect,” Juwara explained. Efforts include rural electrification through new minigrids in remote areas such as Jinack Island and Jawula, and large-scale solar projects in Jambur, Soma, and other sites. These plants will include battery storage systems to ensure night-time supply.
International support is playing a key role. The ECOWAS Regional Electricity Access Project, funded by the World Bank, is already 86 per cent complete and will connect nearly 400 communities. Another project, funded by the African Development Bank, is rehabilitating and expanding the national electricity network, with 10,000 new household connections already achieved.
Water access is also improving significantly. The OIC Water Project, funded by the Saudi Fund for Development, is nearing completion with 13 production boreholes and a water treatment plant under construction. The WASIB project, supported by AFD, is expanding supply in the Greater Banjul Area, while the World Bank’s GERMP project will provide clean water to over 16,900 households in the West Coast, North Bank, and Lower River regions. Additional storage tank and borehole works are progressing in Brikama, Nemasu and Banjul.
In the mining sector, the Geological Department has begun deep-sea exploration for polymetallic nodules in partnership with Norwegian Gambia Mining Company Limited. “This initiative could diversify our revenue sources and strengthen our economy,” Juwara said.
The ministry has also implemented structured licensing for sand dredging, ending coastal sand mining and ensuring a steady supply for the construction sector.
However, Juwara warned about the continued challenge of illegal sand quarrying. “This activity causes huge revenue losses to the state and damages our environment. We need everyone’s cooperation to stop it,” he urged.
Concluding his statement, the minister emphasised the government’s vision for energy security and sustainable growth. “We are committed to transparency, investor-friendly reforms, and ending the use of hurricane lamps and candles in Gambian homes. Together, we can build a brighter, more energy-secure future for our country,” he declared.
