The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund (ADF), the concessional window of the African Development Bank Group, has approved grant funding worth approximately US$20.56 million to finance the fourth expansion of Banjul Port in the Gambia.
The funding comprises an ADF grant of US$13.71 million and another US$6.85 million grant from the Transition Support Facility window. The project will also receive a US$450,000 grant from the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Programme (AAAP), a joint initiative of the African Development Bank and the Global Centre on Adaptation.
The expansion will be financed in parallel with a private investor to be selected competitively by the Gambian government.
The World Bank and the African Development Bank supported the Banjul Port's previous expansions.
The fourth expansion program entails an extension of the port jetty by 345 metres to accommodate up to three ships simultaneously instead of one currently. It also provides for the expansion of the container terminal area by 22,000 square metres to create space for unloading ships, replacement of a non-functioning ferry plying the Banjul and Bara crossing, and widening port access roads by three kilometres to ease congestion.
Information and communication processing systems will also be procured for efficient linkages between customs and the terminal operating system.
