Towards Green Growth: support to The Gambia and its citizens in ensuring an efficient and reliable access to energy

EU financial records indicate a substantial, multi-instrument commitment to energy access in The Gambia, though the project as presented under the Global Gateway banner appears to consolidate activity that predates the Global Gateway initiative itself, which launched in 2021. IATI data identifies at least five discrete but thematically linked instruments. Three tranches under the "Investment Support and Technical Assistance for The Gambia Sustainable Energy Project" show combined commitments of €41 million, of which €32 million has been recorded as disbursed as of available data. A separate €22 million contribution via the African Investment Facility, covering both energy and transport, and a €35 million second contribution under the 11th European Development Fund National Indicative Programme, bring the total committed envelope across these matched instruments to approximately €98 million. The disbursement rate on the two fully disbursed tranches (€6 million and €10 million respectively) is consistent with active implementation, while the largest single tranche (€25 million committed, €16 million disbursed, running to 2032) suggests ongoing but incomplete delivery. No EIB involvement is recorded. The investment figure is described as "not publicly disclosed" in the Global Gateway project listing, which sits in some tension with the IATI records above. This discrepancy may reflect the way older development finance instruments have been repackaged under the Global Gateway umbrella, a practice that EU institutions have applied across several African portfolios and that independent analysts have noted as a methodological concern when assessing the additionality of Global Gateway commitments. Independent coverage is limited but not entirely absent. The Point, a Gambian newspaper, reported in December 2024 that a €100 million EU-funded solar project was expected to power more than 1,000 schools, which is broadly consistent with the EU's stated objectives around off-grid PV installation for schools and health facilities. However, The Point is a domestic outlet and does not constitute independent international verification; its figures should be treated with moderate caution. No coverage from Tier 1 sources (Reuters, AFP, Bloomberg, Financial Times or BBC) was identified for this specific project. Some related activity in the Gambian energy sector has been documented independently.