By Mahzouba Maya Faal
The Vice President of The Gambia, His Excellency Mohammed B.S. Jallow, last week officially launched the 2024 Population and Housing Census, at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in Bijilo.
Representing President Adama Barrow, VP Jallow highlighted the historical significance of this year’s census, emphasising its role in informing decision-making and policy formulation. Notably, this marks the country’s first digital census, a transition underscored by the Vice President as crucial for informed development plan-ning.
VP Jallow outlined the census objectives, including enhancing population understanding, supporting devel-opment programmes, and enabling evidence-based policymaking. He stressed the importance of census par-ticipation for equitable resource distribution in The Gambia, stating, that “the numbers we collect represent lives, dreams, and aspirations.”
The Vice President also expressed gratitude to stakeholders, particularly the World Bank, UNFPA, UNECA, and other development partners for their support.
The event featured remarks from the Statistician General, Mr. Nyaksi M.B. Sanyang of The Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GBoS), who praised President Barrow’s commitment to national development through the census and acknowledged VP Jallow’s expertise in statistics.
Statements were also delivered by Country Representatives of the UNFPA The Gambia and the World Bank, with the ceremony chaired by Development Adviser Serign Falu Njie.
The event also featured a vibrant performance by Jaliba Kuyateh & the Kumareh Band.
Training of enumerators is currently underway in preparation for the census, scheduled to take place from May 25 to June 14, 2024.
