Turkish company Alport Banjul has officially taken over the management of The Gambia Ports Authority under a 30-year concession agreement with the Gambia government.

The deal, signed with Turkey’s Albayrak Group, gives the company an 80% stake in the port, while the Gambian government retains 20%. Albayrak already operates ports in Mogadishu, Somalia, and Conakry, Guinea. 

A senior Albayrak official told reporters that the agreement would benefit The Gambia, as all infrastructure investments would remain in the country after the contract ends.

“We have started our investment, and within the next six months, we will bring in IT facilities to fully operationalise the project,” he said.

He also assured workers at The Gambia Ports Authority that no jobs would be lost.

“We will keep all their rights,” he said, adding that the company would start with 1,000 employees.

But the deal has sparked criticism, with some Gambians accusing President Adama Barrow’s government of mortgaging the country’s only port.

By Adama Makasuba