Africa-Press – Gambia. Interior Minister Abdoulie Sanyang has confirmed that the government expects to raise US$4 million from the planned sale of Mile 2 Central Prison to the Gambia Ports Authority, funds earmarked to kick-start the construction of a modern correctional facility at Nyambikala, Brikama.
The Minister disclosed while responding to a question from the Member for Banjul North during Monday’s parliamentary question-and-answer session. He told lawmakers that documentation for the Mile 2 sale is at an advanced stage, and the funds are already factored into plans for the new facility.
He was quick to clarify, however, that this amount represents only the initial funding, and that the government is still engaging development partners and donors to raise the remaining resources needed. According to the Minister, the new facility is not intended to mirror the old prison but to reflect a modern correctional system, with an estimated cost of between US$20 million and US$30 million.
“No contractor has been awarded at this point because we are at the resource-mobilisation phase,” he told lawmakers. However, he confirmed that the Ministry has been allocated land at Nyambikala in Brikama, and the allocation letter has already been issued.
The response prompted further questions from members who argued that US$4 million should be enough to start substantial work. Minister Sanyang insisted that the state is shifting from punitive incarceration to a correction-based approach, which requires a larger investment in infrastructure, rehabilitation facilities, and security systems.
The exchange remained civil but underscored the Assembly’s growing concern over the slow progress on replacing the decades-old Mile 2 facility, long criticised for its conditions and lack of modern correctional standards.
The session ended with lawmakers urging the Ministry to provide more frequent updates as resource mobilisation advances, stressing that the new facility must meet international human rights and correctional standards.
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