The 2026 Gambia NGO Restitution Summit on Social Development began on 12 October 2026 and continues through 16 October 2026. Held at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in Bijilo, the event brings together organizations to evaluate national progress. Ndella Faye Colley, Executive Director of ActionAid International The Gambia, stated: "Meaningful development required challenging structures that marginalised people and ensuring that women, young people and persons with disabilities had a genuine voice in decisions affecting their lives." Baboucarr Boye of the Ministry of Public Service, Administrative Reforms, Policy Coordination and Delivery added: "Development strategies for least developed countries must be nationally owned and aligned with local priorities." Representatives from the NGO Coalition for Social Development and TANGO are participating in the discussions. The summit is taking place at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in Bijilo, providing a central hub for the delegates to engage in their scheduled sessions.
Empowering Civil Society for Change
Organisers have designated the theme for the summit as 'Mobilising Civil Society for Bold Social Development: Pathways and Partnerships for the Future After 30 Years.' The NGO Coalition for Social Development and its partners are responsible for the event. All summit proceedings remain housed at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in Bijilo. The event is organised by the NGO Coalition for Social Development and its partners, who have coordinated the logistics to ensure that all scheduled sessions, panel discussions, and collaborative workshops occur within the designated facility in Bijilo.
Mrs Yadicon Njie Eribo, Chairperson of TANGO, addressed the assembly regarding the transition from theoretical planning to concrete action. "The challenge was no longer simply agreeing on development priorities but ensuring that commitments were implemented, progress measured and the voices of vulnerable communities reflected in decisions affecting their future," she stated.
Immaculada Roca i Cortés, European Union Ambassador to The Gambia, spoke on the institutional requirements for non-governmental groups to function effectively. "Civil society organisations needed an enabling environment, opportunities to contribute to decisions affecting their communities and support to strengthen their organisational capacities," said Immaculada Roca i Cortés.
These discussions form the core of the multi-day programme, which focuses on refining the role of non-state actors in national progress. The summit theme, 'Mobilising Civil Society for Bold Social Development: Pathways and Partnerships for the Future After 30 Years,' serves as the primary guiding framework for all delegates attending the event at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in Bijilo. Participants continue to evaluate how existing frameworks for social development can be adapted to meet the objectives set out in the summit theme. By convening under the guidance of the NGO Coalition for Social Development and its partners, the participants aim to establish a cohesive roadmap for future social development initiatives across the nation.
