The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NiDCOM, has called on the Central Bank of The Gambia to reverse its directive requiring banks operating in the country to replace non-Gambian employees with qualified Gambian nationals by December 31, 2026.
The Commission said the September 16 directive could affect 57 Nigerian professionals working in four Nigerian-origin banks in The Gambia, despite their reportedly holding valid residency and work permits.
NiDCOM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, described the directive as deeply worrisome, warning that its implementation could undermine African economic cooperation, regional integration and the free movement of skilled professionals.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Commission’s Head of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, NiDCOM acknowledged The Gambia’s right to promote local employment and develop its workforce but insisted that such policies must respect existing employment arrangements and legitimate work authorisations.
The Commission noted that the affected Nigerian professionals had made significant contributions to the Gambian banking sector, while the four banks employing them collectively account for 37.2 per cent of the industry’s deposits, valued at 35.3 billion Gambian dalasis.
The banks also account for 32.6 per cent of total industry loans, amounting to 7.67 billion dalasis, and 37 per cent of banking assets, valued at 44.78 billion dalasis.
Additionally, they represent approximately 34.5 per cent of investments in Central Bank bonds and reportedly provide 90 per cent of the funding supporting the operations of the National Water and Electricity Company, NAWEC.
NiDCOM argued that the directive appeared inconsistent with efforts to encourage African investment, regional economic cooperation and the free movement of people, particularly where its implementation could result in the displacement of qualified African professionals.
It therefore urged the Gambian Central Bank to immediately reconsider and reverse the blanket replacement directive, while engaging the Nigerian High Commission in Banjul, affected financial institutions and other relevant stakeholders to reach an equitable resolution.
The Commission also called on the Gambian authorities to uphold the principles of ECOWAS integration and preserve the longstanding cordial relations between Nigeria and The Gambia.
It stressed the need for constructive diplomatic engagement to resolve the matter in a manner that protects the interests of affected Nigerian professionals without undermining The Gambia’s legitimate employment objectives.
