By Mariatou Ngum & Abdou Mbye
His Excellency Mohammed B.S. Jallow, Vice President of the Republic of The Gambia, on Monday, 29 June chaired the Second Quarter 2026 Sector Consultative Meeting for sectors under the purview of the Office of the Vice President, reaffirming Government’s commitment to strengthening collaboration, accountability and coordinated service delivery to accelerate national development.
The high-level meeting, held at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in Bijilo, brought together senior officials of the Office of the Vice President, heads of agencies, and sector representatives to review sector performance, assess challenges and chart a coordinated way forward.
Delivering his keynote remarks, Vice President Jallow underscored the importance of collaboration, drawing on a memorable experience from his time in the education sector. Recalling an occasion during a World Bank Country Programme Assessment, he narrated how the late Vice President chose not to make additional remarks after the Deputy Permanent Secretary’s presentation, saying he did not wish to “dilute” the statement already delivered.
The Vice President likened that experience to the day’s proceedings, commending the Deputy Permanent Secretary for her comprehensive opening remarks and noting that they had eloquently captured the purpose of the meeting.
Welcoming participants, His Excellency expressed satisfaction with the growing spirit of cooperation among the various sectors under the Office of the Vice President. He observed that beyond institutional partnerships, sector heads have developed professional relationships and a culture of collaboration that continues to strengthen coordination across government.
“The partnerships, friendships and collaborative efforts that have emerged among our sector heads are exactly what these consultative meetings are intended to foster,” the Vice President said. “I am equally encouraged that this spirit of teamwork is cascading to officers within the various institutions. That, for me, is already a significant success, and I urge you all to sustain it.”
Vice President Jallow further emphasised that Senior Management Meetings and Sector Consultative Meetings remain critical platforms for promoting synergy between policy leadership and administrative management. While reaffirming that sector administrations are entrusted to their respective leaders, he stressed the importance of aligning policy direction with effective implementation to achieve national objectives.
He expressed confidence that the day’s deliberations would provide an honest assessment of both achievements and existing challenges, enabling participants to develop practical solutions that will further improve service delivery across the sectors.
Earlier, the Deputy Permanent Secretary (Technical), Ndey Alima Ceesay, welcomed participants and outlined the objectives of the meeting.
She extended a warm welcome to the newly appointed Permanent Secretary, Mr. Musa Mbye, expressing confidence in his leadership and wishing him success in steering the Office of the Vice President.
Mrs. Ceesay highlighted the Vice President’s annual nationwide field mission conducted from 11th to 13th May 2026, during which His Excellency visited all five administrative regions and the Kanifing Municipality to inspect development projects, engage local authorities and interact with communities.
She noted that while the visits revealed encouraging progress, including the rehabilitation of health facilities, expansion of social protection programmes and the development of youth and vocational centres, they also exposed persistent challenges such as flooding, inadequate drainage, uneven coordination at the local level and limited public awareness of government services.
She urged each sector to ensure that the findings from the field visits are translated into concrete actions, adding that the meeting should serve as a platform for identifying practical solutions to close the identified gaps.
The Deputy Permanent Secretary also commended several institutions for significant policy milestones, including the validation of the National Coordinating Committee on Risk Management’s Early Warning Policy, the completion of the National Nutrition Agency’s policy framework, progress on the Food Safety and Quality Authority’s Strategic Plan, and the forthcoming validation of the Office of the Vice President Strategic Plan 2026–2030.
She emphasised that although the mandates of the various institutions differ, they share a common responsibility to advance the objectives of the Recovery-Focused National Development Plan (RF-NDP) 2023–2027 through stronger partnerships and coordinated implementation.
Closing the meeting, the Permanent Secretary at the Office of the Vice President, Mr. Musa Mbye, expressed appreciation to all participants for their active engagement, insightful contributions and unwavering commitment throughout the consultative session.
Mr. Mbye noted that although he is newly appointed to the Office of the Vice President, he had already witnessed the professionalism, dedication and commitment that characterise both the Office and its sectors.
He observed that the day’s discussions reinforced the need to strengthen coordination, accountability and collaboration in delivering national development priorities, urging all sectors to implement the agreed recommendations and action points with diligence and urgency.
The Permanent Secretary reaffirmed the Office of the Vice President’s commitment to supporting effective coordination across all sectors and thanked the National Population Commission Secretariat for hosting the meeting, as well as everyone whose contributions ensured its success.
He concluded by calling on participants to leave with renewed determination and a shared commitment to delivering measurable results in fulfilment of their institutional mandates before officially declaring the Second Quarter 2026 Sector Consultative Meeting closed.