DDF Fellowship Summary
- DDF Project Title
Digitisation of Public Records in Gambia
- DDF Fellow Reference Number
- DDF62
- Fellow's Diaspora Country
Denmark
- Partner in The Gambia
National Records Service
- Geographical Coverage
- Rural
- Initial Project Period
- April 2026 – July 2026
- Main Project Results
To be updated
Challenges and Opportunities
The digitisation initiative faces significant obstacles, including deteriorating colonial-era records and government publications, as well as inadequate infrastructure, specialised scanning equipment and comprehensive cataloguing systems across Gambian institutions. However, TR19 demonstrated strong institutional collaboration and a shared commitment to preserving the country’s documentary heritage, with NRS well-positioned to lead coordination. Adopting international best practices, such as Library of Congress standards, alongside structured volunteer mobilisation involving youth and university students, can accelerate implementation while building local expertise.
Aisha Tambajang
DDF62
About The Project
Digitisation of Public Records in The Gambia
The Digitisation of Public Records in The Gambia project is a strategic national initiative implemented through the Diaspora Development Fund (DDF) by GK Partners (GKP), in collaboration with the Government of The Gambia. The project is coordinated by Ms. Aisha Tambajang, a Diaspora Fellow, supported by a GKP Project Associate.
The initiative was formally launched and advanced through the Nineteenth Technical Round Table (TR19), convened on 11 June 2026 at the National Records Service, New Offices in Kanifing, The Gambia. The National Records Service (NRS) organised the event in collaboration with GK Partners and the Migration and Sustainable Development in The Gambia (MSDG) Project, and Professor Gibril Faal, Director of GK Partners and the MSDG Project, chaired it.
The project seeks to digitise and preserve The Gambia’s documentary heritage, safeguarding institutional memory, improving access to information, and supporting research, education, and evidence-based policymaking. It focuses on priority archival records held by the National Records Service (NRS) , the National Assembly (NA) , the Gambia Printing and Publishing Corporation (GPPC) , and the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC) .
Key Objectives
- Identify and list priority archival records for digitisation
- Understand technical specifications for scanning equipment
- Establish standardised formats for labelling and branding scanned records
- Set action points for scanning first sets of archival records
- Create depository websites for public access
Participating Institutions
- National Records Service (NRS)
- National Assembly (NA)
- Gambia Printing and Publishing Corporation (GPPC)
- National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC)
- Gambia National Library Service Authority (GNLSA)
- Ministry of Public Service (MOPS)
- Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy (MOCDE)
- Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS)
- Personnel Management Office (PMO)
- GK Partners and the MSDG Project
