Gambia Government Orders Banks To Sack all Non-Gambian Staff By December 31 2026

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.