Open Gambia Network Concept Note
For a detailed and insightful overview of our initiatives, explore the concept note to envision the transformative impact we aspire to bring for the people and local businesses across diverse sectors in The Gambia through the Open Gambia Network.
Foreword
By Hon. Ousman Bah. Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, The Gambia
As Gambia is currently on its path of digital Transformation, the need to harness technology as a powerful enabler and design solutions tailored to our local context has never been more pressing. Our lives are being subtly reshaped by digital innovation across diverse sectors, with the digitization of commerce emerging as a pivotal transformation that holds the potential to fuel economic growth. It promises to empower small businesses, foster youth employment, expand consumer choices, and ensure the inclusion of often-overlooked segments of our population. The emergence of digital public infrastructure (DPI) and Open Networks that unlocks digital inclusion and economic participation - at population scale - presents an opportunity and the “Open Gambia” initiative is an important step in that journey.
The “Open Gambia” (OGa) initiative is an ambitious attempt to reimagine digital commerce in Gambia in line with our Digital Transformation efforts. Our initial focus lay in building on ground capacity and enabling a team of young experts who can not only engage with technology but actively build context specific solutions. Taking forward our mission in collaboration with an empowered on ground task force, we are now establishing an open transaction network for commerce, as we aspire to transform Gambia into a knowledge and innovation-driven economy. OGa will enable our citizens to access food and groceries online and pay for the products digitally. The open network will enable a fair and transparent digital commerce ecosystem, empowering small businesses, enhancing user convenience, ensuring competitive pricing, and enabling a wide range of choices to the end consumers. In this concept paper, you'll read more about exciting use cases that the “Open Gambia” initiative could unlock in the Gambia. This is not only a glimpse into the future but also an exploration of the benefits and opportunities it can bring to consumers, small and local businesses, delivery and logistics companies, NGOs, startups, among many others.
Yet, this merely scratches the surface of the “Open Gambia” network. As Gambia moves forward in its journey of complete digital transformation, our goal extends far beyond the Commerce sector; we aim to revitalise critical growth sectors such as Urban Mobility, Agriculture, Tourism and Hospitality, Health & Wellness, and many more. Our vision is to create an innovation-first economy that is fair, inclusive, and equitable, and this foreword marks the beginning of our journey toward this ambitious aspiration.
Hon. Ousman Bah
Minister of Communication and Digital Economy - The Gambia
Download OGa Concept Note