FG Raises the Alarm Over Gambian Directive to Replace 57 Nigerian Bank Workers

• Commission seeks reversal of December deadline, warns against displacement of African professionals

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has called on Central Bank of The Gambia to reverse a directive requiring banks operating in the country to replace non-Gambian employees with qualified Gambian nationals, warning that the policy could lead to the displacement of 57 Nigerian professionals.

The directive, reportedly issued on September 16, 2026, gives banks until December 31, 2026 to replace their existing non-Gambian employees with Gambians, a development NiDCOM said had raised serious concerns about the welfare and employment rights of affected Nigerians.

Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NiDCOM, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, described the development as deeply worrisome, particularly as the affected Nigerian professionals reportedly possessed valid residency and work permits and had made significant contributions to The Gambia’s banking sector.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, the commission acknowledged The Gambia’s right to promote local employment and develop its workforce. But NiDCOM insisted that such policies must respect existing employment arrangements, legitimate work authorisations, and the principles of African solidarity and regional integration.

NiDCOM said information available to it indicated that 57 Nigerian professionals working in four Nigerian-origin banks operating in The Gambia could be affected by the directive.

The commission also drew attention to the economic contributions of the four banks, which collectively account for approximately 37.2 per cent of total banking industry deposits, valued at 35.3 billion Gambian dalasi, and 32.6 per cent of loans, worth 7.67 billion dalasi.

The banks also, reportedly, control 37 per cent of the industry’s total assets, valued at 44.78 billion dalasi, while accounting for about 34.5 per cent of investments in Central Bank bonds.

More significantly, NiDCOM said the four institutions, reportedly, contributed 90 per cent of the funding supporting the operations of the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC), highlighting their importance to the Gambian economy

The commission expressed concern that a blanket employment replacement policy could undermine the contributions of African professionals and investors to host economies, particularly at a time when African countries are seeking to deepen economic cooperation and regional integration.

It stated that encouraging African investment and the free movement of people, while implementing policies capable of indiscriminately displacing qualified African professionals, could undermine the objectives of continental economic integration.

NiDCOM urged Central Bank of The Gambia to immediately reconsider and reverse the directive, calling for consultations with the Nigerian High Commission in Banjul, the affected financial institutions, and other relevant stakeholders to achieve an equitable resolution.

The commission also appealed to Gambian authorities to uphold the spirit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) integration framework and the longstanding cordial relationship between Nigeria and The Gambia.

It called for constructive diplomatic engagement to resolve the dispute without jeopardising the livelihoods of affected Nigerian professionals or the broader economic relationship between both countries.

The development comes against the backdrop of regional efforts to promote the free movement of people, capital, and services, as well as stronger economic partnerships among African countries.