Gambia partners with Jospong Group to tackle waste management challenges

In an agreement aimed at addressing waste management challenges in The Gambia, the Jospong Group of Companies (JGC) and the Gambian government have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to replicate Ghana’s homegrown waste management solutions in the West African nation.

The MoU was signed in Accra on March 3, 2025, by The Gambia’s Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources, Rohey John Manjang, and Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong, Executive Chairman of Jospong Group. The agreement seeks to establish a waste treatment plant in The Gambia within six months under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Manjang underscored the importance of homegrown solutions, stating that Africa must be innovative in solving its own challenges.

“I know, for Africa to go forward with our limited resources, we need to be innovative in making sure that we fix our problems. We cannot just say that we do not have money,” she said.

The MoU follows a five-day duty tour of Jospong Group’s waste management facilities in Ghana by a high-powered 12-member Gambian government delegation, including officials from the National Assembly, Council Members, and technical experts from the National Environment Agency.

Hon. Manjang stressed that governments cannot handle sanitation issues alone and must partner with the private sector.

“That is why I set for myself a six-month target, up to June, to build a waste management unit with PPP for The Gambia,” she announced.

She described the Jospong waste management model as a proven, comprehensive African solution, adding that it eliminates the need for expensive feasibility studies promoted by Western institutions.

“What we saw these past three days was amazing; it broke our hearts for the simple reason that I could not have imagined the solution that Western countries and institutions proposed—with its inherent debt—was right here with us in Africa,” she lamented.

On his part, Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong attributed Jospong’s success to strategic thinking and divine orchestration. He recounted how his encounter with The Gambian Vice President paved the way for the agreement.

“When ideas marry strategy, the product is money. So, money is the son of strategy and ideas. What we need in Africa is ideas and strategy, not money,” he stated.

He warned against Africa’s reliance on foreign aid, citing comments from former US President Donald Trump, who urged African nations to develop their own natural resources instead of depending on foreign assistance.

“If over the years, we’ve been happy with grants and loans, today Donald Trump has told us that we should go and develop our minerals,” he remarked.

Dr Agyepong further noted that the continent’s dependency on aid had hindered progress, urging African nations to prioritise innovation and determination.

“Collective determination and commitment are what has birthed what is happening in the waste management sector of Ghana,” he said, expressing optimism about The Gambia’s commitment to replicating the model.

Before the MoU signing, the Gambian delegation paid a courtesy visit to Ghana’s Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Ibrahim Murtala Muhammed.

Murtala Mohammed urged The Gambian government to protect Ghanaian investors, citing the historical ties between Ghana and Gambia that date back to the pre-independence era.

“The relationship between Ghana and Gambia predates independence. Our former Presidents, Kwame Nkrumah and Sir Dawda Jawara, were friends and comrades in the struggle for independence,” he noted.

He stressed that investment thrives on security, adding that businesses will only flourish if investors feel protected.

“You are not just representing Jospong Group, but Ghana. Your operations should promote Ghana, and we will ensure that you do not embarrass Ghana because the country’s image is on the line,” he stated.

Hon. Manjang, in response, acknowledged the shared environmental challenges between Ghana and The Gambia, stating that her country’s reliance on Ghana’s expertise was a logical and necessary step.

“We have a lot in common with Ghana, and we believe that by working together, we can find solutions to our environmental challenges,” she stated.

The Gambian delegation visited key Jospong installations, including the Accra Compost and Recycling Plant (ACARP), Kumasi Compost and Recycling Plant, the Plastic Recycling Plant, Zoomlion Waste Transfer Station, and the Kpone Re-engineered Landfill Site.

With the MoU now in place, stakeholders are optimistic that The Gambia’s waste management transformation will serve as a model for other African nations to adopt sustainable, homegrown solutions for their environmental challenges.