The African Development Bank Group has approved a $19.93 million grant through the Transition Support Facility (TSF) to support the “Resilience Building – Vulnerable Youth and Women Support Project” in The Gambia, aiming to reduce fragility, alleviate poverty, and boost economic opportunities for youth and women in underserved communities. The project responds to the country’s urgent socio-economic challenges, including high youth unemployment (38.6%) and disproportionate female joblessness (1.3 unemployed women for every unemployed man), compounded by rural poverty, food insecurity, and limited access to essential services.
With over half of the Gambian population living below the poverty line and 76% of rural residents affected, the project is designed to tackle systemic inequalities that drive irregular migration and social instability. It prioritizes inclusive development by investing in health infrastructure, food security, climate-smart agriculture, and renewable energy. Despite national electricity coverage, access remains critically low in regions like Kuntaur and Janjanbureh, where fewer than one in four residents are connected. Similarly, maternal mortality, child malnutrition, and poor access to healthcare persist in these areas, which will now see the rehabilitation of four primary health centers and improved nutrition surveillance benefiting over 22,000 children.
The initiative will generate 1,500 new jobs, improve productivity for 5,000 existing positions, and deliver annual technical and vocational training to 500 young people in high-demand sectors such as agriculture, ICT, engineering, and renewable energy. It will also support 500 women-led small businesses and 50 women’s cooperatives, providing access to finance and entrepreneurial development resources. Recognizing that 77% of Gambian youth lack access to formal financial services, the project will introduce tailored credit facilities and business support to foster financial inclusion and sustainable livelihoods.
Additionally, the project strengthens institutional resilience by investing in gender equality, preventing gender-based violence, and building government capacity for data-driven policymaking and fragility monitoring. With food insecurity having surged from 13.4% in 2021 to 29% in 2023 reaching 61% in some regions this investment will also focus on improving agricultural value chains and mitigating climate-related shocks.
The African Development Bank’s Deputy Director General for West Africa, Dr. Joseph Ribeiro, emphasized that the intervention reflects the Bank’s broader strategy to prevent conflict and migration by addressing root causes early, promoting social cohesion, and renewing the social contract through equity-driven, people-centered development.
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