World Bank funded GIRAV Project gives 5 vehicles to Ministry of Lands
By Sulayman Waan
The Gambia Inclusive and Resilient Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (GIRAV) has donated five brand new pick-up vehicles to the Ministry of Lands, Regional Government and Religious Affairs.
The assistance forms part of the project’s support to ongoing government’s efforts to improve The Gambia’s land administration system and contribute to secure land tenure and climate-resilient spatial planning.
The vehicles are earmarked for the Departments of Lands and Physical Planning under the Ministry of Lands, Regional Government and Religious Affairs to help them execute their respective mandates more efficiently.
Hon. Dr. Demba Sabally, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security handed over the vehicle’s keys to Hon. Hamat NK Bah, Minister of Lands, Regional Government and Religious Affairs at a ceremony at the CPCU complex in Banjul on Wednesday 12th March 2025.
GIRAV is a seven-year Gambia Government-World Bank funded project being implemented across the country. The Project Development Objective (PDO) is to promote the development of inclusive, resilient, and competitive agricultural value chains, focusing on smallholder farmers and agribusinesses as well as improved-water supply in selected project target areas.
In his remarks, Hon. Dr. Demba Sabally described the gesture as a giant step in his ministry’s contribution to land reform and management. He said that land is an important resource which require sound and sustainable management. Hon. Sabally enjoined the recipients of the vehicles to manage them well and utilize them efficiently.
For his part, Hon. Hamat NK Bah expressed gratitude to the government and the World Bank for what he described as a timely intervention to help improve The Gambia’s land administration system.
“This is another positive effort in improving land management in this country because The Gambia is one of the five most densely populated countries in the region, yet it lacks a land policy”, he noted.
Hon. Bah explained that an inclusive and participatory National Land Policy formulation process is currently underway to help guide the development of strategies and interventions to effectively and sustainably address The Gambia’s inefficient land administration processes, insecure land tenure, and land disputes.
Hon. Bah further lamented that the institutions mandated with land administration and its related services under his ministry are faced with a myriad of challenged including lack of mobility. He said the provision of the vehicles is apt and timely and will immensely benefit the target beneficiaries and the entire nation.
Mr. Abdoulie Touray, Coordinator of the Central Projects Coordinating Unit (CPCU) under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security also dilated on the rational for GIRAV’s intervention to help strengthen land sector reforms in The Gambia. Mr. Alhagie Nyangado, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security chaired the ceremony.
SW/COB/19/03/25
