The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission has expressed concern over a directive by The Gambia’s central bank that could leave 57 Nigerian professionals working in the country’s banking sector at risk of losing their jobs.
NiDCOM Chairman, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, disclosed this in a statement posted on her X account on Tuesday, describing the development as “deeply worrisome”.
The directive, contained in a circular issued by the Central Bank of The Gambia on September 16, 2026, requires commercial banks to replace foreign workers who do not fall under approved expatriate employment quotas with qualified Gambian citizens by December 31, 2026.
The policy applies to all commercial banks in the country, including Nigerian-origin institutions such as Access Bank, FirstBank, Guaranty Trust Bank and Zenith Bank.
Dabiri-Erewa said findings available to NiDCOM showed that 57 Nigerian employees across the four banks could be affected by the new requirement.
“These professionals reportedly hold valid residency and work permits and have contributed significantly to the Gambian banking sector,” she said.
Although she recognised The Gambia’s authority to prioritise employment opportunities for its citizens and strengthen its local workforce, the NiDCOM chairman stressed that the policy should be enforced without disregarding existing employment agreements and valid work permits.
She also urged the Gambian authorities to consider the wider principles of African unity and regional cooperation when implementing the directive.
Highlighting the role of the affected banks in the country’s financial sector, Dabiri-Erewa said the four institutions jointly hold about 37.2 per cent of total industry deposits, valued at 35.3 billion Gambian dalasis.
They also account for 32.6 per cent of loans worth 7.67 billion dalasis and 37 per cent of banking assets valued at 44.78 billion dalasis, according to her.
The banks reportedly contribute approximately 34.5 per cent of investments in Central Bank bonds and provide 90 per cent of the funding for the operations of the National Water and Electricity Company.
Dabiri-Erewa argued that the employment directive could undermine efforts to promote investment across Africa, strengthen economic ties and encourage the movement of people within the continent.
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“It is contradictory to encourage African investment, regional economic cooperation and the free movement of people while adopting employment measures that could lead to the indiscriminate displacement of qualified African professionals,” she said.
She appealed to the Central Bank of The Gambia to “immediately reconsider and reverse the blanket replacement directive”.
The NiDCOM chairman also called on the regulator to consult with the Nigerian High Commission in Banjul, the affected banks and other stakeholders to find a fair solution to the matter.
She further urged The Gambia to respect the principles of ECOWAS integration and preserve its longstanding relationship with Nigeria through constructive diplomatic discussions.
The Central Bank of The Gambia had earlier directed commercial banks to comply with the replacement requirement before December 31, 2026.
The regulator said the decision followed an industry-wide assessment which revealed that several foreign nationals were employed in banking institutions outside the officially approved expatriate quota.
It based the directive on provisions of the country’s Labour Act 2023 and Guideline 9, which regulates expatriate employment in the banking sector.