The leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters – The Gambia (EFF-Gambia), His Royal Highness (HRH), Prince Ebrahim Sanyang, has outlined an ambitious education reform agenda, describing education as a right, not a privilege.
The new political movement, led by HRH Sanyang, says it has a broad array of policies, but education and human capital development will be among its top priorities if elected into office. At the centre of the policy is a plan to ensure that no child drops out of school because of financial constraints.
According to Prince Sanyang, every student in The Gambia will receive a monthly stipend under an EFF-Gambia government.
The stipend is intended to cover basic learning needs, transport and upkeep, removing the economic barriers that force thousands of children, particularly in rural areas, out of school. The stipend will be paired with a free, high-quality education system from basic to secondary level, HRH, Sanyang said.
Crucially, the proposed system will not be limited to conventional academic learning. It will blend academic excellence with technical, vocational and digital training to produce a skilled workforce aligned with the jobs the movement plans to create under its industrial, agricultural and infrastructure agenda.
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“This is about building human capital that can sustain the new economy we want to build. When we build railways, river transport, fisheries corporations and community farms, we will need welders, engineers, digital experts and agriculturists. Our schools must produce them,” HRH, Sanyang explained.
Education analysts say the proposal, if funded sustainably, could address The Gambia’s learning crisis highlighted in the World Bank’s 2026 Economic Update, which warned of a disconnect between educational gains, especially among women, and labour market opportunities.
HRH Sanyang maintains that investing directly in students is investing in national productivity, and that free, skills-based education will be the foundation for zero unemployment and long-term prosperity.
