Banjul, 3rd March 2025: The Head of Project Management of ‘Aspire to Innovate’ (a2i), under the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology of the Republic of Bangladesh, has identified four key digital public goods that could be highly beneficial for The Gambia.
Mr. Abdullah Al Fahim was making a presentation during a five-day trainers’ training on Service Process Simplification (SPS), being held at Metzy Hotel in Kololi.
He highlighted the four key digital public goods as follows: eApostille, Teachers’ Portal, ekShop and ekPay and went on to briefly explain each of them and their potential impact.
Mr. Fahim explained that eApostille can streamline document verification, benefiting students, job seekers and expatriates by providing a fast, secure and cost-effective authentication system.
For the Teachers’ Portal, he said it can help modernise education, improve quality of instruction and ensure students benefit from up-to-date digital learning materials.
On ekShop and ekpay, the digital expert shared that the ekShop can support Gambia’s local business and entrepreneurship and create new economic opportunities, particularly for rural and marginalise communities; while “adopting ekpay system in The Gambia can significantly enhance financial inclusion, streamline pay payments, and reduce the burden on citizens and businesses by providing a hassle-free digital transaction platform”.
Mr. Abdullah Al Fahim informed that the solutions he highlighted above are innovations that transformed governance and service delivery in Bangladesh.
According to him, leveraging these digital public goods, The Gambia has the opportunity to accelerate its digital transformation and bring essential service closer to its citizens.
“Bangladesh is ready to collaborate further, share their expertise and support The Gambia in adopting and customising these solutions to meet its specific needs,” Head of Project Managementa2i, Mr. Fahim concludes.
About Mr. Fahim
Mr. Abdullah Al Fahim is the Head of Project Management at a2i and leads initiatives to enhance public services through technology, digital inclusion, and policy reform. Over the past decade, he has played a pivotal role in advancing e-governance initiatives like D-Nothi, training thousands of government officials, and making digital services more efficient and accessible. His work is driven by a vision to leverage technology to solve real-world challenges, streamline government processes, and create opportunities for people to thrive in a digital era. Through his leadership, he continues to shape a more innovative and citizen-centric approach to public service delivery
By Lamin B. Darboe
