Banjul, 14 August 2026: The Ministry of Lands and Regional Government, with support from the EU-UNDP GREAT Project, has established Local Accountability Networks (LANets) in all eight Local Government Areas (LGAs) across the country.
In a bid to equip LANet members with the requisite skills and knowledge to effectively carry out their functions, representatives from the various councils last week underwent five-day training on local accountability in Mansa-Konko.
Speaking at the conclusion of the training, Mr. Mamudo Bah, Senior Decentralisation Officer at the Ministry of Lands and Regional Government, urged participants to uphold the principle of integrity in the discharge of their responsibilities.
Mr. Bah encouraged members of the Local Accountability Networks across the councils to respect their roles and work towards protecting the interests of their communities.
Also speaking at the ceremony, Mr. George Nyouki, Local Governance Analyst at UNDP, urged participants to immediately put into practice the knowledge and skills acquired during the five-day training upon returning to their respective councils.
He reminded LANet members of the importance of their work, noting that the initiative is aimed at improving accountability and service delivery at the local government level.
The lead trainer, Mr. Burang Danjo, commended UNDP for supporting the establishment of LANets in the councils for the first time. He said the initiative would go a long way towards ensuring that public funds are properly accounted for and that councils achieve value for money in their undertakings.
Speaking on behalf of the participants, Mr. Lasana Camara of the Basse Area Council thanked the resource persons for what he described as a job well done.
He assured the organisers that participants would put the knowledge acquired during the training to good use and ensure that the LANets function effectively, with or without support from the councils.
The core responsibilities of the LANets include monitoring council expenditures, assessing the performance of local councils, tracking procurement processes and contract awards, fighting corruption, and ensuring that council authorities properly implement public audit recommendations.
These measures are expected to contribute to improved transparency, accountability and service delivery at the local level.
The Local Accountability Networks will serve as vital community watchdogs, strengthening the link between citizens and local government councils and ensuring that communities have a greater role in monitoring the use of public resources and the delivery of public services.
Gambia News Agency
