Written by: Mama A. Touray
The Minister of Lands, Regional Government and Religious Affairs, Hamat N.K. Bah, announced on Wednesday that the foundation stone for the first phase of the government’s affordable housing scheme will be laid in December 2025. He made this disclosure while responding to questions raised by National Assembly Members regarding his Ministry’s promise to deliver 200,000 affordable houses.
Minister Bah informed parliamentarians that the government is actively working on the initiative. “The Ministry of Lands, Regional Government and Religious Affairs has announced plans to lay the foundation stone to commence construction of 10,000 affordable houses for Phase One by December 2025,” he said.
He explained that this forms part of the government’s broader vision to construct 200,000 affordable houses over a ten-year period.
“Thus, in our drive to support these efforts, the government is working to establish the necessary institutional framework—such as a housing mortgage bank—to facilitate access to affordable homes. To help us realise this noble objective, organisations such as UN-Habitat, Shelter Afrique, the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation, and the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) are being engaged to secure the necessary funding,” he told lawmakers.
The Minister further noted that his Ministry is also working on identifying and banking land for the purposes of the housing project.
When asked about the specific locations for the first phase, he responded: “I cannot give you those areas yet because we have not completed that process, but I guarantee 100% that it will be decentralised.”
He also disclosed that Shelter Afrique is currently working with the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation to carry out a proper diagnostic assessment of the housing situation in The Gambia. “That process is ongoing as we speak,” he added.
A Gambian delegation, he revealed, is expected to travel to Algeria to attend Shelter Afrique’s annual general meeting, where the housing assessment will be one of the key topics under discussion.
When asked about a defined implementation timeline for the scheme’s rollout, Minister Bah admitted: “We have not got that timeline as we speak.”
He emphasised that the country currently lacks the institutional framework required to implement such a large-scale project, stressing the need to establish a mortgage bank.
“There are a lot of factors involved, because private individuals must be encouraged to bring in their money and invest. It’s not going to be government money. What Social Security can do, at most—through the government—is to create the enabling infrastructure that would entice private sector developers to get involved. Acquire the land, put in the infrastructure, and then developers come in to reduce the cost of the houses. These discussions are ongoing,” he said.
