The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission has raised concerns that 57 Nigerian professionals working in four Nigerian-origin banks in The Gambia could lose their jobs following a directive by the country’s central bank to replace certain foreign employees with Gambian nationals.
The Chairman of NiDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, raised the concern in a statement shared on her X handle on Tuesday, describing the directive as “deeply worrisome”.
The statement follows a circular issued by the Central Bank of The Gambia on September 16, 2026, directing commercial banks operating in the country to replace non-Gambian employees who are not covered by approved expatriate quotas with qualified Gambian nationals by December 31, 2026.
The directive affects all commercial banks operating in the country, including Nigerian-origin lenders such as Access Bank, FirstBank, Guaranty Trust Bank and Zenith Bank.