Africa-Press – Gambia. After 18 years of distinguished and blemish-free service, Alhaji Sheikh Tejan Nyang has retired as Head of School of the Institute of Travel and Tourism of The Gambia (ITTOG). His retirement was officially announced during the institute’s 18th graduation ceremony, held on Saturday, 31 January 2026, at the Kairaba Beach Hotel in Senegambia.
The occasion was both celebratory and emotional, as tears of joy streamed down his face when he was invited to deliver his annual graduation address, which also served as his farewell speech.
Popularly known as Sheikh Tejan Nyang, he is a household name not only within The Gambia’s tourism sector but also across Africa, the Afro-Caribbean, and the United States. Over the years, he has received numerous local and international awards in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the growth and development of the tourism industry, particularly in Africa.
Before becoming a tourism consultant and Head of School at ITTOG, Nyang rose through the ranks of the tourism industry at home and abroad, eventually serving as Director of Tourism at the National Tourism Organisation (NTO) of The Gambia. He also worked with one of the largest tour operators in Norway before returning home, and has since remained a respected tourism icon, serving both locally and regionally in various leadership and advisory roles.
In his address at the ceremony, the former Head of School told the gathering that the day was “not only a graduation and award ceremony, but also a moment of reflection, gratitude and farewell.”
Reflecting on his 18 years as an educator, he described the experience as “a university of life,” where he earned, in his words, “metaphorically triple master’s degrees and triple doctorates, not from textbooks, but from listening carefully to parents’ stories.” These, he said, were stories of sacrifice, struggle, commitment, and, at times, neglect.
He also spoke candidly about his experiences working with both committed and less-committed parents, noting that some viewed their children’s education as a means for personal gain.
“Schools reinforce values, but parents plant them,” he said. “Schools can teach equations, sharpen talents and open minds, but they cannot undo ten years of poor parenting in one term.”
Speaking on the graduation theme, The Power of Service: Building Communities through Volunteerism, Tejan Nyang said life becomes meaningful when “we give back what we have been given,” adding that volunteerism is “the highest expression of humanity and faith.” He noted that this philosophy has guided both him and his partner throughout their years of service.
On the subject of retirement, he challenged conventional thinking, quoting that “retirement, as the world understands it, is not rest; it is resignation from purpose.” He added, “Everything in creation moves. Rivers flow. The Earth rotates. The stars dance. Where motion stops, stagnation begins. What we need is not retirement, but redirection.”
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