Central Bank of The Gambia Orders Replacement of Non-Gambians

On September 16, 2026, the Central Bank of The Gambia (CBG), under the leadership of second deputy governor Dr Paul J. Mendy, issued a directive mandating all banks to replace their non-Gambian staff with suitably qualified Gambian nationals by December 31, 2026.

This directive followed a meeting with bank chiefs on August 27, 2026, which reportedly ended abruptly. The CBG's directive cited a study indicating a high number of non-Gambians employed in the banking sector, which it claimed violated the Labour Act 2023 and Guideline 9 of its Management and Technical Services Agreement Guidelines.

There are 11 banks in The Gambia, with four being subsidiaries of Nigerian banking groups: Access Bank, FirstBank, Guaranty Trust Bank, and one other. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has since requested detailed action plans from these banks to ensure compliance with the CBG's directive.