Honorable Abdoulie Jobe, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, on Wednesday, 6th August 2025, held a day-long consultation meeting with the creative arts sector players at The Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute in Kanifing to discuss and consult with this vital sector on preserving The Gambia’s cultural heritage and promoting tourism.
Minister Jobe, in his keynote speech, highlighted the vital role that the creative sector plays in job creation and economic growth both for the Gambia and globally.
“We are aware of the significance of the creative industries in generating jobs and supporting the diversification efforts of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture. Not long ago, the Government of the Gambia launched the European Union Youth Empowerment Project for Tourism and the Creative Industries, all geared towards supporting the sector,” Honorable Jobe emphasized.
The Minister further promised the creative players that his Ministry is ready to collaborate and offer support to the creative sector and to ensure that their capacities are built, preparing them for both the local and international markets.
Honorable Jobe then encouraged all creative sector players present to proffer short, medium, or long-term initiatives that his Ministry could take up to improve the performance of the creative sector.
Mr. Hassoum Ceesay, the Director General of the National Centre for Arts and Culture, attended the meeting, along with the Chairperson of the NCAC Governing Board, the Tourism Diversification and Resilience in the Gambia Project representative, and the ITC Country Representative.
The NCAC, TDRGP, and EU-YEP Tourism and Creative Industries all provided a presentation, highlighting the opportunities they have for the creative sector.
By Lamin Njie
Communications Officer
Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture