New Multi-Stakeholder body to guide fair pricing, consumer protection, and interoperability in rapidly growing digital finance sector
Banjul, The Gambia, 23 February 2026 – The Central Bank of The Gambia (CBG) officially launch the National Payment Systems Advisory Committee (NPSAC), a high-level multi-stakeholder body established to strengthen policy coordination, oversight, and strategic guidance across the country’s rapidly evolving payment ecosystem.
The launch ceremony took place at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center (SDKJ ICC) at 10:00 a.m., bringing together senior government officials, development partners, financial sector leaders, and representatives from international institutions. The event is chaired by the Central Bank of The Gambia and will feature remarks from the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, alongside representatives from the Institute for Inclusive Digital Africa (IIDiA), the World Bank, and the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA).
“The establishment of NPSAC represents a crucial evolution in how African countries can govern digital financial ecosystems,” said Niania Dabo, Director of Partnerships at the Institute for Inclusive Digital Africa (IIDiA). “This one-year journey has brought together regulators, industry players, and consumer advocates within a structured advisory framework, pioneering a model that balances innovation with accountability while ensuring that the benefits of digital finance reach every citizen, especially the most vulnerable.”
Creating the National Payment Systems Advisory Committee marks a significant institutional milestone in The Gambia’s payment system reforms, following the successful launch of BANTABA 2.0, the country’s first real-time, fully interoperable payment system. While BANTABA 2.0 provides the technical backbone for instant digital payments, NPSAC is designed to provide the governance, coordination, and strategic oversight necessary to ensure the system’s sustainability, integrity, and inclusive growth.
The Committee will serve as a consultative platform bringing together regulators, government agencies, financial institutions, mobile money operators, fintechs, and development partners. Its mandate includes advising on payment system policy, supporting risk management and consumer protection, promoting interoperability, and aligning national payment initiatives with global best practices.
During his keynote address, the Honourable Governor of the Central Bank of The Gambia emphasised “The Significance of the National Payment Systems Advisory Committee in Strengthening the National Payment Ecosystem.”
“As The Gambia transitions toward real-time, interoperable, and inclusive digital financial infrastructure, NPSAC provides the strategic oversight required to safeguard financial stability, encourage innovation, and build public trust in digital payments.”
According to the Central Bank, the creation of NPSAC reflects the country’s recognition that payment system reform extends beyond technology. Clear policy direction and strong stakeholder coordination are essential to safeguarding financial stability, fostering innovation, and strengthening confidence in digital financial services.
NPSAC comprises up to seven core members supported by institutional representatives from government, the private sector, and consumer advocacy groups. Core membership includes representatives from the Central Bank of The Gambia, Gamswitch, Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA), relevant government ministries, the Information Technology Association of The Gambia, and consumer protection organisations.
Additional participating institutions include the Gambia Bankers’ Association, the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Financial Intelligence Unit, GICTA, PURA, and other key stakeholders within the digital financial services ecosystem.
The Committee will convene at least quarterly and will be established for an initial three-year term, subject to annual performance reviews. It will report directly to the GISP Steering Council, ensuring that interoperability decisions remain firmly grounded in the public interest. Technical support for the initiative is provided by INFITX, Mojaloop and Gamswitch, with catalytic support from the Gates Foundation.
The establishment of NPSAC directly supports two flagship government initiatives: the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS), launched in 2022 to expand access to formal financial services among the 69 per cent of adults (15+) currently without a transaction account, and the Digital Economy Master Plan 2023–2033, which prioritises the development of an integrated national payment system to accelerate digital payments and reduce reliance on cash across the economy.
With digital financial inclusion currently estimated at 19 per cent, and mobile money active users increasing by 94 per cent between 2020 and 2021, the Committee arrives at a critical juncture to address challenges including low digital literacy, high transaction costs, regulatory gaps, and limited system interoperability.
As The Gambia continues to modernise its national payment infrastructure and expand digital financial services, the National Payment Systems Advisory Committee is expected to play a central role in shaping a sustainable, inclusive, and well-governed payment ecosystem that supports economic growth, financial inclusion, and digital transformation.
ABOUT THE CENTRAL BANK of The GAMBIA (CBG)
The Central Bank of The Gambia is the country’s monetary authority responsible for monetary policy, regulation and supervision of financial institutions, and safeguarding financial system stability. Established under the Central Bank of The Gambia Act, it plays a key role in maintaining price stability, supporting economic growth, and protecting the Dalasi. As lead regulator of the national payment system, the CBG is driving The Gambia’s digital financial transformation, advancing interoperable payment infrastructure to expand financial inclusion.
ABOUT THE INSTITUTE FOR INCLUSIVE DIGITAL AFRICA (IIDiA)
The Institute for Inclusive Digital Africa is a pan-African think-and-do tank dedicated to advancing inclusive digital transformation across the continent. Through strategic partnerships and innovation, IIDiA works with governments, regulators, development partners, and the private sector to design and implement digital public infrastructure, digital financial systems, and enabling policy frameworks that expand access, reduce inequality, and empower underserved communities.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Benjamin Annan
Institute for Inclusive Digital Africa (IIDiA)
Email: contact@iidia.org
Government of The Gambia Representative
Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy
