The Gambia and Senegal have agreed a major new framework to strengthen cooperation in higher education, research and technical training following a high-level visit by Gambian officials to Dakar.

The four-day mission, led by Gambia’s Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Professor Pierre Gomez, concluded on Tuesday with the endorsement of a joint 2025–2030 Action Plan with Senegal’s Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation.

Officials say the agreement is designed to turn the long-standing ties between the two neighbours into “practical and measurable programmes” across universities and technical training institutions.

Under the deal, Senegal will offer 50 annual scholarships to Gambian students at undergraduate, master’s and PhD levels, as well as TVET diploma training. Priority areas include science and technology, agriculture and health.

The two sides also committed to creating formal mobility schemes allowing faculty, researchers and students to study or work in each other’s institutions.

An annual Senegal–Gambia Innovation Challenge will be launched to support entrepreneurship, while technical and vocational centres in The Gambia are expected to partner with Senegal’s ISEP institutes on curriculum design, staff development and equipment planning.

Quality assurance bodies in both countries, The Gambia’s NAQAA and Senegal’s ANAQ-SUP, will also deepen collaboration and share best practices on accreditation.

A joint technical committee is set to be created within three months to monitor progress, with a mid-term review slated for 2028.

During the visit, the Gambian delegation toured several facilities, including ISEP Diamniadio, where they observed a training model in which 70% of learning is practical and industry-focused.

Professor Gomez invited his Senegalese counterpart, Professor Daouda Ngom, to Banjul for a follow-up visit in March 2026, an invitation that was accepted.

By Adama Makasuba