After 60 years without a national communication framework, the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services on Wednesday led stakeholders in developing the country's first National Communication Policy and Implementation Strategy at WASCAL Hall, University of The Gambia.
The two-day initiative, supported by the West Africa Coastal Areas Resilience Project 2 (WACA ResIP 2), follows extensive community consultations, institutional audits and legal analysis.
The convention is designed not as a validation exercise, but as a structured negotiation in which stakeholders co-create the policy's pillars and identify non-negotiable red lines.
In her welcome address, Permanent Secretary Cordu L. Jabang recalled that for more than six decades, The Gambia has been governed without a national communication policy.
"Ministries have spoken, officials have briefed, releases have been sent out, but never within a shared framework that specifies what government communication is for, who leads it and what standards it must meet," she said.
She said the policy draft on tables is not a list of complaints, but a working outline the drafting team can turn into a full policy. The folders contain the agenda, a summary of situational analysis, guides for each working track and note materials.
She thanked consultants for extensive groundwork, including listening sessions in all eight Local Government Areas, a capacity audit of government institutions, a legal and policy review, and analysis of how government has actually been communicating.
Abdoulie Sey, Communication Specialist for WACA ResIP 2, said the World Bank-funded project is housed under the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources.
He explained WACA is a regional project supporting West African countries to protect shared coastal resources.
"The idea is that the coastline of West Africa is shared, and one intervention in one country will not solve the problem. That's why it's in The Gambia, Mauritania, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Togo, Benin and Sao Tome and Principe," Sey said.
In The Gambia, a study within Greater Banjul found vulnerability higher along the coastal stream, home to over 200,000 people as of 2020, now surpassing 300,000.
Information Minister Dr. Ismaila Ceesay described the development as long overdue, saying the convention is crucial to shaping a policy for the people.
"Today is more than just producing a policy document. It is about defining how public institutions communicate with the people they serve. It is about how citizens receive information that affects their lives. And how government listens, responds and remains accountable," he said.
He said at the heart of democratic governance is citizens' right to timely, accurate, accessible and reliable public information.
The Constitution protects freedom of expression and press, while the Access to Information Act 2021 and Personal Data Protection and Privacy Act 2025 provide frameworks for information access and privacy, he noted.
"But laws and rights do not implement themselves. They must be supported by sound policies, clear institutional responsibilities, professional standards and practical systems," Ceesay said.
He warned that isolated, late or inconsistent communication leaves citizens confused and erodes public confidence.
"The goal is not for every institution to speak on every issue. It is for every institution to understand its role, verify facts, communicate responsibly, and contribute to a coherent public information system."
Credibility grows when institutions are clear and candid, he said, noting the situational analysis points to a serious trust challenge.
"Trust cannot be demanded. It must be earned through accuracy, openness, consistency, responsiveness and accountability," he said.
The objective, he stressed, is not to control discussion, but to make reliable information easier to find and institutions more responsive.