GAMBIA ORDERS BANKS TO REPLACE NON-GAMBIA STAFF, SETS DECEMBER DEADLINE
Reloaded News Desk
The Central Bank of The Gambia has directed commercial banks operating in the country to begin a phased replacement of non-Gambian employees with suitably qualified Gambian nationals, setting December 31, 2026 as the deadline for full compliance.
The directive affects banks including Nigerian-owned or Nigerian-linked lenders such as Access Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank, FirstBank and Zenith Bank, as well as Ecobank.
The Central Bank said the decision followed an industry-wide review of employment practices in the banking sector, which found a relatively high number of non-Gambian employees working in positions beyond those formally recognised under expatriate arrangements.
The regulator said such practices were inconsistent with The Gambia’s Labour Act 2023 and its guidelines governing the employment of expatriate staff in the banking industry.
Banks have been instructed to adopt a phased approach to replacing affected employees while making arrangements for the transfer of skills and knowledge to Gambian workers.
The Central Bank also directed the banks to ensure that the transition does not disrupt operations or result in the loss of critical institutional knowledge.
The Gambian legal framework does not completely prohibit the employment of expatriates. Rather, it requires regulatory approval for expatriate positions and places emphasis on developing qualified Gambian counterparts through training and skills transfer.
The Central Bank’s directive therefore puts pressure on banks to identify positions currently occupied by non-Gambians, determine where suitably qualified Gambians are available and organise handovers and training ahead of the deadline.
The regulator did not publicly identify individual banks as being in breach of the law, nor did it disclose the number of employees who may be affected.
For Nigerian banking groups with subsidiaries in The Gambia, the directive could lead to reviews of staffing structures and expatriate arrangements as the December deadline approaches.
