First Secretary at Gambian Embassy in Moscow, AfricaReach Founder attended Khimia 29 in Moscow

By Bakary Sonko

MOSCOW, 10 November 2026

Russian companies are missing out on African markets, and the problem is not a lack of opportunity. It is how they go about doing business there. That was the message from the 29th International Chemistry Exhibition, Khimia, held at the Agroexport Centre in Moscow.
Bakary Jawo, First Secretary at the Embassy of The Gambia in Moscow, used the platform to position his country as a gateway for Russian business into West Africa. He was joined by Bakary S. Sonko, PhD candidate and founder of AfricaReach, a business consulting firm.
Sonko told the audience that many Russian companies still apply market models designed for other regions to African economies. Firms, he said, should spend time understanding local partners, regulatory environments and consumer needs before expecting returns. “The opportunities are real,” he said, “but they go to companies willing to adjust.”
Jawo made the case for The Gambia as a practical entry point into the wider region. He pointed to the ECOWAS trade framework, which allows firms operating in one member state to reache several others, and named fertilisers as a priority category, given the central role of agriculture in the Gambian economy.
He also called for stronger collaboration in agriculture and education. Jawo urged closer ties between Russian and Gambian institutions, including research partnerships and support for Gambian students studying in Russia. “The students and researchers of today will shape the trade and investment of tomorrow,” he said.
The presentations also covered bitumen and household and industrial cleaning products, as well as opportunities in fisheries, tourism and infrastructure development.
After the presentations, the speakers toured the exhibition pavilions and met representatives of several companies to discuss possible cooperation.

The Embassy of The Gambia in Moscow represents the Government of The Gambia in its relations with the Russian Federation.