Country Profile on AI Governance: The Gambia

Mean of all 10 indicator scores. West Africa mean 1.70 · all 54 states mean 1.76.

1. S1.1

   National AI strategy existence

   Score 1 / 4

   The National Digital Economy Master Plan identifies the need for an "AI Development Policy and Strategy.

   Sources scribd.com (opens in a new tab)

2. S1.2

   Strategy adoption date

   Score 0 / 4

   No formal AI strategy has been adopted as of June 2026.

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: none (adoption date). No formally adopted national AI strategy.

   Sources scribd.com (opens in a new tab)

3. S1.3

   Political commitment signals

   Score 2 / 4

   Senior government officials have repeatedly emphasized digital transformation and emerging technologies through the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, the National Digital Transformation Strategy, and Digital Economy Master Plan.

   Sources uneca.org (opens in a new tab)

4. S1.4

   Dedicated AI budget allocation

   Score 0 / 4

   No publicly available evidence of a dedicated or ring-fenced AI budget.

5. S1.5

   AU Continental AI Strategy alignment

   Score 1 / 4

   Digital and data governance initiatives align broadly with AU digital transformation objectives, but no formal AI strategy has been mapped to the AU Continental AI Strategy

   Sources eeas.europa.eu (opens in a new tab)

6. S1.6

   Multi-stakeholder consultation

   Score 2 / 4

   National Digital Transformation Strategy and Data Policy processes involved government, private sector, civil society, academia, and international partners.

   Sources uneca.org (opens in a new tab)

7. S1.7

   Sector prioritisation

   Score 2 / 4

   Digital Transformation Strategy and Master Plan identify priority sectors such as government services, education, finance, connectivity, digital identity, and entrepreneurship.

   Sources uneca.org (opens in a new tab)

8. S1.8

   Implementation roadmap

   Score 3 / 4

   The Digital Economy Master Plan (2024–2034) and Digital Transformation Strategy include implementation phases and strategic actions.

   Sources gambiadaily.gov.gm (opens in a new tab)

9. S1.9

   Monitoring and evaluation framework

   Score 1 / 4

   The Ministry provides an implementation and monitoring framework within the Digital Economy Master Plan documentation

   Sources mocde.gov.gm (opens in a new tab)

10. S1.10

    Strategy review mechanism

    Score 1 / 4

    Long-term digital strategies (2024–2034; 2023–2028) imply periodic review and updating, though no specific AI review mechanism exists

    Sources uneca.org (opens in a new tab)

Mean of all 10 indicator scores. West Africa mean 1.18 · all 54 states mean 1.32.

1. G2.1

   AI-specific legislation

   Score 0 / 4

   No AI-specific legislation or AI regulatory framework has been enacted or formally drafted.

   Note: AI governance remains embedded within broader digital transformation initiatives.

2. G2.2

   Data protection law status

   Score 3 / 4

   The Personal Data Protection and Privacy Act (Act No. 11 of 2025) received Presidential Assent on 7 November 2025 and established an enforcement framework.

   Note: Enacted and enforceable legislation exists.

   Sources dataguidance.com (opens in a new tab)

3. G2.3

   DPA AI mandate

   Score 1 / 4

   The Act establishes oversight through the Information Commission, but no explicit AI oversight mandate has been identified.

   Note: DPA exists without a formal AI mandate.

   Sources dataguidance.com (opens in a new tab)

4. G2.4

   DPA staffing and budget

   Score 0 / 4

   No publicly available information found on staffing numbers or annual budget of the Information Commission.

   Scoring basis Fellow score kept; no raw value for the threshold.

5. G2.5

   AI regulatory body existence

   Score 0 / 4

   No dedicated AI authority, commission, council, or regulator currently exists.

   Sources mocde.gov.gm (opens in a new tab)

6. G2.6

   Institutional design model

   Score 1 / 4

   AI-related governance would presently fall under existing digital governance and data protection institutions.

   Sources dataguidance.com (opens in a new tab)

7. G2.7

   Malabo Convention ratification

   Score 1 / 4

   The Gambia signed the AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo Convention) on 2 December 2022 but has not yet ratified it. (Gamna)

   Sources gamna.gov.gm (opens in a new tab)

8. G2.8

   Enforcement actions taken

   Score 0 / 4

   No publicly reported AI-related investigations, fines, or enforcement actions.

   Sources dataguidance.com (opens in a new tab)

9. G2.9

   Extraterritorial provisions

   Score 2 / 4

   The Personal Data Protection and Privacy Act contains provisions regulating data processing activities affecting Gambian residents, including certain cross-border processing activities.

10. G2.10

    IP framework for AI

    Score 0 / 4

    No evidence that copyright or intellectual property laws have been formally reviewed or amended to address AI-generated content.

Mean of the 9 scored indicators; 1 carries no score. West Africa mean 1.40 · all 54 states mean 1.51.

No score: 1 context only.

1. I3.1

   Data center count

   Score 1 / 4

   QGroup House Data Centre was inaugurated in April 2026 and described as the country's first commercial data centre.

   Note: First known commercial facility.

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 1 (data centres).

   Sources datacenterdynamics.com (opens in a new tab)

2. I3.2

   Data center capacity (MW)

   Score 0 / 4

   No publicly disclosed power capacity.

   Scoring basis Fellow score kept; no raw value for the threshold.

3. I3.3

   Submarine cable landing points

   Score 1 / 4

   The Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine cable lands in Banjul.

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. 1 cable systems (TeleGeography, accessed 2026-10-06).

   Sources submarinecablemap.com (opens in a new tab)

4. I3.4

   International bandwidth (Gbps)

   Score 1 / 4

   No recent publicly available national bandwidth statistics located.

   Note: Government and telecom sources reviewed.

   Scoring basis Fellow score kept; no raw value for the threshold.

5. I3.5

   Hyperscaler presence

   Score 0 / 4

   No evidence that AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle Cloud, or Alibaba Cloud operate local infrastructure in The Gambia.

   Note: Services available remotely through regional hubs.

6. I3.6

   GPU/HPC access

   Score 1 / 4

   No national HPC facility exists. Access to AI computing is largely through universities and foreign cloud services.

   Note: Academic and cloud-based access only.

7. I3.7

   Data localisation provisions

   Score 2 / 4

   The Personal Data Protection and Privacy Act regulates data processing and international transfers but does not impose comprehensive localisation requirements.

   Sources dataguidance.com (opens in a new tab)

8. I3.8

   Cross-border data flow framework

   Score 3 / 4

   The Personal Data Protection and Privacy Act 2025 establishes legal mechanisms for international data transfers based on adequacy and safeguards.

   Sources techhiveadvisory.africa (opens in a new tab)

9. I3.9

   Foreign AI surveillance spending

   ○Context only: Context flag outside the score

   No publicly documented expenditure on foreign AI surveillance systems identified.

   Scoring basis Context flag; outside the score. Raw value read from the evidence: "No publicly documented expenditure on foreign AI surveillance systems identified."

10. I3.10

    Sovereign cloud initiatives

    Score 2 / 4

    The Government has promoted national digital infrastructure through GAMTEL, the National Data Policy process, and the newly inaugurated national data centre infrastructure.

    Sources gamtel.gm (opens in a new tab)

Mean of all 10 indicator scores. West Africa mean 1.14 · all 54 states mean 1.20.

1. H4.1

   AI researchers per million

   Score 1 / 4

   UNESCO Science Report; Scopus affiliation searches.

   Note: No national AI researcher registry exists. Searches of Scopus, Dimensions, and Google Scholar show only a small number of AI-related publications affiliated with Gambian institutions annually.

   Scoring basis Fellow score kept; no raw value for the threshold.

2. H4.2

   DPA staff with AI competency

   Score 0 / 4

   Information Commission and Data Protection Act documentation.

   Note: No public evidence that staff of the Information Commission possess documented AI technical qualifications.

   Scoring basis Fellow score kept; no raw value for the threshold.

   Sources informationcommission.gm (opens in a new tab)

3. H4.3

   University AI programs

   Score 0 / 4

   University of The Gambia academic programmes

   Note: The University of The Gambia offers Computer Science and ICT-related programmes, but no standalone AI or Machine Learning degree programme could be verified as of 2026.

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value read from the evidence: "no standalone AI or Machine Learning degree programme could be verified as of 2026". Checked against the evidence on 7 October 2026: confirmed.

   Sources utg.edu.gm (opens in a new tab)

4. H4.4

   African-authored AI publications

   Score 1 / 4

   Scopus, Dimensions, Google Scholar affiliation searches.

   Note: Limited but growing AI-related research output from Gambian-affiliated scholars appears in international databases.

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. 4.7 papers/yr ÷ 2.76m people = 1.69 per million (floors applied).

5. H4.5

   AI patents filed

   Score 0 / 4

   WIPO PATENTSCOPE; ARIPO records.

   Note: No AI-related patents filed domestically could be identified through available intellectual property records.

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 0 (AI patent applications/year). Raw value read from the evidence: "No AI-related patents filed domestically could be identified through available intellectual property records." Checked against the evidence on 7 October 2026: confirmed.

6. H4.6

   K-12 CS education

   Score 3 / 4

   Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education curriculum reforms; UNESCO ICT education reports.

   Note: ICT is integrated into the national basic and secondary education curriculum and is taught in many public schools.

7. H4.7

   AI workforce training programs

   Score 2 / 4

   University of The Gambia academic programmes

   Note: Government and partners such as the United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and local innovation hubs support digital skills and emerging technology training, but no large-scale national AI upskilling programme exists.

   Sources utg.edu.gm (opens in a new tab)

8. H4.8

   Labour transition policy

   Score 0 / 4

   National employment and digital economy policy review.

   Note: No formal government policy addressing AI-driven labour market transitions was identified.

9. H4.9

   Informal economy AI assessment

   Score 0 / 4

   Government reports and policy reviews.

   Note: No published government assessment of AI impacts on the informal economy was located.

10. H4.10

    African language NLP coverage

    Score 3 / 4

    Hugging Face language resources.

    Note: The two principal Gambian languages with meaningful NLP support are Wolof and Mandinka/Mandingo, which have some machine translation, speech, and language-resource availability through projects such as Masakhane and global language datasets.

    Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 2 of 4 (languages supported / major languages), normalised 50. 50% of major domestic languages. Raw value read from the evidence: "The two principal Gambian languages with meaningful NLP support are Wolof and Mandinka/Mandingo" [denominator (my own knowledge of major languages, not from te. Checked against the evidence on 7 October 2026: confirmed.

Mean of all 10 indicator scores. West Africa mean 1.04 · all 54 states mean 1.05.

1. N5.1

   AI companies count

   Score 1 / 4

   Verified AI-focused firms operating in The Gambia include TekkiLabs, which explicitly develops AI-powered software and AI-native applications. Additional firms may exist but could not be independently verified.

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 1 (companies).

   Sources tekkilabs.com (opens in a new tab)

2. N5.2

   Private AI investment (USD)

   Score 0 / 4

   No publicly available national statistics on AI-specific private investment were identified.

   Scoring basis Fellow score kept; no raw value for the threshold.

3. N5.3

   AI incubators/accelerators

   Score 0 / 4

   The Hub Ltd. operates as an incubator, accelerator, and innovation hub supporting technology entrepreneurs and digital innovation. It is not exclusively AI-focused but supports AI-related ventures.

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 0 (incubators/accelerators). Raw value read from the evidence: "It is not exclusively AI-focused but supports AI-related ventures." [only hub described (The Hub Ltd.)]. Checked against the evidence on 7 October 2026: confirmed.

   Sources thehub.gm (opens in a new tab)

4. N5.4

   Regulatory sandbox (AI)

   Score 0 / 4

   No AI-specific regulatory sandbox has been established in The Gambia.

5. N5.5

   Government AI procurement

   Score 1 / 4

   Government digital transformation initiatives reference adoption of emerging technologies, but no formal AI procurement framework or domestic AI preference policy could be identified.

6. N5.6

   AI safety evaluation capacity

   Score 0 / 4

   No accredited AI testing laboratory, AI evaluation centre, or AI safety facility identified.

7. N5.7

   ISO/IEC 42001 adoption

   Score 1 / 4

   The Gambia's national standards body participates in standards development, but no verified evidence of ISO/IEC 42001 implementation by Gambian organizations was identified. The standard itself is recognized internationally.

   Sources iso.org (opens in a new tab)

8. N5.8

   Standards body AI competency

   Score 1 / 4

   The Gambia Standards Bureau has technical committees covering ICT, management systems, and electrotechnical standards, but no AI-specific technical committee was identified.

9. N5.9

   AI risk assessment frameworks

   Score 0 / 4

   No sector-specific or national AI risk assessment framework was found.

   Sources tgsb.gm (opens in a new tab)

10. N5.10

    University-industry AI partnerships

    Score 1 / 4

    Evidence exists of technology ecosystem collaboration involving universities, training providers, innovation hubs, and industry actors, but no formal AI research MoUs or joint AI laboratories were verified.

    Sources thehub.gm (opens in a new tab)

Mean of all 10 indicator scores. West Africa mean 1.21 · all 54 states mean 1.26.

1. E6.1

   Algorithmic impact assessment

   Score 0 / 4

   No law, regulation, or policy requires algorithmic impact assessments for AI systems.

   Sources dataguidance.com (opens in a new tab)

2. E6.2

   Bias audit requirements

   Score 0 / 4

   No requirement for bias audits or fairness assessments of AI systems.

3. E6.3

   Transparency obligations

   Score 1 / 4

   Data protection legislation requires transparency regarding personal data processing but does not specifically regulate AI transparency.

   Sources dataguidance.com (opens in a new tab)

4. E6.4

   Citizen redress mechanism

   Score 2 / 4

   The Personal Data Protection and Privacy Act establishes complaint and redress mechanisms through the Information Commission for data protection violations.

   Sources techhiveadvisory.africa (opens in a new tab)

5. E6.5

   Judicial AI remedy

   Score 2 / 4

   Gambian courts possess jurisdiction over administrative, constitutional, privacy, and technology-related disputes. No known AI case precedent exists.

6. E6.6

   AI advisory body diversity

   Score 0 / 4

   No national AI advisory council or AI ethics body identified.

7. E6.7

   Global AI governance participation

   Score 1 / 4

   The Gambia participates in UN digital governance discussions through the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and engages with UNECA digital transformation initiatives, but is not a member of GPAI or OECD AI governance structures.

   Sources eeas.europa.eu (opens in a new tab)

8. E6.8

   Civil society AI engagement

   Score 1 / 4

   Civil society organizations participated in consultations on the National Data Policy and Digital Transformation Strategy. No formal AI governance role exists.

   Sources eeas.europa.eu (opens in a new tab)

9. E6.9

   African ethical framework reference

   Score 0 / 4

   No AI-related policy document identified that explicitly references Ubuntu, African humanism, indigenous ethics, or similar African ethical frameworks.

10. E6.10

    Youth participation

    Score 1 / 4

    Youth are involved through entrepreneurship hubs, innovation programmes, and digital-skills initiatives such as activities hosted by The Hub Ltd., but no formal AI governance role exists.

    Sources thehub.gm (opens in a new tab)

Mean of all 10 indicator scores. West Africa mean 1.66 · all 54 states mean 1.55.

1. R7.1

   AU AI Strategy alignment

   Score 1 / 4

   No formal national AI alignment process has been announced. However, The Gambia participates in AU digital transformation initiatives and is aware of continental digital governance developments.

   Sources uneca.org (opens in a new tab)

2. R7.2

   Kigali Declaration endorsement

   Score 3 / 4

   No publicly verifiable evidence was found that The Gambia has formally endorsed or begun implementing the Kigali Declaration on AI.

   Scoring basis Official signatory list applied. Signatory of the Africa Declaration on AI (Kigali, 4 April 2025), C4IR list: "Endorsed" = 3.

   Sources c4ir.rw (opens in a new tab)

3. R7.3

   REC AI governance coordination

   Score 2 / 4

   As a member of Economic Community of West African States, The Gambia participates in regional digital economy and ICT coordination mechanisms, though no leadership role in AI governance has been identified.

   Sources ecowas.int (opens in a new tab)

4. R7.4

   Cross-border AI agreements

   Score 0 / 4

   No bilateral or multilateral AI governance cooperation agreement involving The Gambia was identified.

5. R7.5

   Election integrity AI provisions

   Score 0 / 4

   No legal or institutional provisions specifically addressing AI use in elections were identified.

6. R7.6

   Disinformation response framework

   Score 1 / 4

   Government agencies and electoral stakeholders have addressed misinformation and digital harms generally, but no dedicated AI-generated disinformation framework exists.

7. R7.7

   AI election incidents documented

   Score 1 / 4

   No verified AI-related election interference incidents were identified in publicly available reports as of June 2026.

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 1 (rule band). Scored on documented institutional response, not incident count.

8. R7.8

   Platform content moderation

   Score 1 / 4

   No formal legal requirements for AI content moderation exist, although engagement with social media platforms occurs through broader ICT and communications channels.

9. R7.9

   Geneva Dialogue participation

   Score 1 / 4

   No official Gambian delegation to the 2026 UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance could be verified as of June 2026.

10. R7.10

    G20/multilateral AI engagement

    Score 1 / 4

    The Gambia participates in UN, AU, and ECOWAS digital governance discussions but is not a member of G20 or BRICS AI initiatives.

Mean of the 9 scored indicators; 1 carries no score. West Africa mean 0.63 · all 54 states mean 0.78.

No score: 1 not scored (excluded from the mean).

1. M8.1

   AI governance budget disbursed

   Score 0 / 4

   No dedicated AI governance budget allocation or disbursement identified.

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 0 (USD). Raw value read from the evidence: "No dedicated AI governance budget allocation or disbursement identified." Checked against the evidence on 7 October 2026: confirmed.

2. M8.2

   Health AI regulation

   Score 0 / 4

   No AI-specific healthcare regulation, guidelines, or legislation identified.

3. M8.3

   Health AI devices approved

   Score 0 / 4

   No publicly documented approvals of AI-based medical devices by Gambian regulatory authorities.

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 0 (authorised devices). Raw value read from the evidence: "No publicly documented approvals of AI-based medical devices by Gambian regulatory authorities." Checked against the evidence on 7 October 2026: confirmed.

4. M8.4

   Government AI system registry

   Score 0 / 4

   No registry of AI systems used by government agencies was identified.

5. M8.5

   AI governance M&E reports

   Score 0 / 4

   No monitoring and evaluation reports on AI governance implementation have been published.

   Scoring basis Threshold applied. Raw value: 0 (reports).

6. M8.6

   Agriculture AI governance

   Score 0 / 4

   No AI-specific provisions for agriculture identified in agricultural policy documents.

7. M8.7

   Financial services AI governance

   ○Not scored: Excluded from the pillar mean

   The Central Bank regulates digital financial services and fintech activities, but no AI-specific governance framework was identified.

   Scoring basis Not determined; excluded from the pillar mean.

   Sources cbg.gm (opens in a new tab)

8. M8.8

   Education AI governance

   Score 1 / 4

   The Digital Transformation Strategy and educational digitalization initiatives support technology integration, but no formal AI-in-education governance policy was identified.

9. M8.9

   Measurable governance outcomes

   Score 0 / 4

   No documented evidence that AI governance interventions have produced measurable protective outcomes.

10. M8.10

    WHO AI health guidance adoption

    Score 1 / 4

    The Gambia participates in WHO digital health initiatives, but no formal adoption of the WHO Ethics and Governance of Artificial Intelligence for Health guidance was identified.

    Sources who.int (opens in a new tab)