News reaching “News PlaftormNG” has it that the Central Bank of The Gambia (CBG) has directed commercial banks, including Nigerian lenders’ subsidiaries, Access Bank, GTBank, FirstBank, Ecobank and Zenith Bank, to begin replacing non-Gambian employees with suitably qualified Gambian nationals by December 31, 2026.
The directive was contained in a September 16 circular
signed by the CBG’s Second Deputy Governor, Dr. Paul J. Mendy, following a
meeting with bank managing directors and an industry-wide review of non-Gambian
employment in the banking sector.
The CBG said the study found a “relatively high number” of
non-Gambians employed beyond staff formally recognized as expatriates,
describing the practice as contrary to The Gambia’s Labour Act 2023 and
Guideline 9 on expatriate employment in banking.
“Consequently, all banks are required to adopt a phased
approach to replacing existing non-Gambian staff with suitably qualified
Gambian nationals, with appropriate arrangements for skills transfer and
continuity of operations,” the CBG stated.
The banks were also directed to ensure affected employees
transfer their skills and knowledge to Gambian workers while the positions are
progressively localised.
The Labour Act requires employers granted expatriate quotas
to provide Gambian counterparts to understudy expatriate employees and
facilitate the transfer of knowledge and skills.
The law does not prohibit expatriate employment but requires
regulatory approval and prioritises the development of local capacity.
Employers that violate expatriate employment requirements may face fines of at
least 500,000 dalasis.
The CBG did not accuse any specific bank of violating the
law, stressing that the directive applies across the banking industry. The
affected Nigerian banks have been contacted for their responses and requested
time to comment.
"News PlatformNG" reached out to Zenith Bank, Gtbank, First Bank, Access Bank, Eco Banks for their comments and got no response before publishing.
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