Africa-Press – Gambia. The Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) has been named among 24 global winners of the 2025–2026 Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge, securing a US$1 million grant to expand youth employment and improve waste management services in hard-to-reach communities.
The announcement was made Tuesday by Bloomberg Philanthropies, which recognises cities with tested and scalable solutions to pressing urban challenges.
KMC’s proposal was selected from more than 630 applications worldwide for its youth-driven approach to waste collection and environmental sanitation.
Under the initiative, the council plans to establish youth cooperatives and deploy tricycle waste collection services capable of reaching nearly 60 percent of households inaccessible to conventional garbage trucks.
The project is expected to generate employment opportunities for young people while improving sanitation services in historically underserved neighborhoods.
Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda described the award as a significant milestone for the municipality and the country.
“We are turning waste management into dignified jobs while equipping our youth with skills and building cleaner neighbourhoods,” he said, noting that the grant would help scale up an innovation already piloted locally.
Bloomberg Philanthropies said each winning city would receive financial support as well as technical guidance and operational assistance to implement and expand their projects.
The Mayors Challenge seeks to encourage local governments to experiment with practical solutions to improve essential services such as sanitation, housing and public health.
KMC’s selection places The Gambia among cities from 20 countries recognised for innovative governance across Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas.
