By Olimatou Coker
The Gambia Standards Bureau (TGSB) convened a multi‑stakeholder forum on Tuesday at Bakadaji Hotel, Kotu, to strengthen understanding of the National Electrotechnical Committee (NEC) and its role in the electrotechnical sector.
The exercise aims to boost technical capacity and increase compliance with national and international standards for electrical products. It formed part of the official mission to The Gambia by Wafula Collins, Country Officer at the IEC Africa Regional Centre, to support NEC members through knowledge sharing on the International Electrotechnical Commission’s (IEC) standardization strategy, processes, tools and conformity assessment framework.
The engagement underscores TGSB’s commitment to reinforcing national quality infrastructure and aligning the country with international best practices in electrotechnical standardisation. Participants included permanent secretaries, directors general and other senior officials.
Ebrima Musa Jallow, Director of the Standardization Division at TGSB, said the training’s objectives were to explain the IEC structure and membership, update NEC members on IEC standardization strategy and processes, and raise awareness of the conformity assessment programme the bureau plans to roll out. “This will help ensure that all electrical products entering The Gambia conform to nationally adopted standards,” he said, adding that adopting standards must be matched by stakeholder capacity to implement them.
Ousman Njie of the NEC said the country’s electricity supply is expanding nationwide and that equipment procurement is increasing. “Standards are necessary to ensure such equipment meets minimum safety and performance requirements,” he said, noting that conformity assessment verifies whether products, processes and systems meet requirements that protect people, equipment and installations.
Wafula Collins of the IEC Africa Regional Centre described the IEC as a member‑based organization and stressed the NEC’s critical role as The Gambia expands electricity access and pursues regional trade. He said IEC standards are essential to Africa’s development goals, including the AfCFTA and the ambition for a single African electricity market.
Papa Secka, Director General of TGSB, noted that the bureau signed the Affiliate Conformity Assessment Status declaration in September 2025, gaining access to IEC systems and training. The framework will allow The Gambia to use internationally recognized test reports and certificates to assess the safety and quality of electrical products while national testing capacity is developed. “Aside from a state‑of‑the‑art laboratory for testing lighting products, the country does not yet have a fully-fledged laboratory for testing electrical appliances,” he said.
By the end of the forum, participants had a clearer understanding of standards development, conformity assessment and the necessity of ensuring that electrical products on the Gambian market meet established requirements.