Africa-Press – Gambia. The National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC) on Saturday, 29 November 2025, received the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Inventory of The Gambia Catalogue along with accompanying educational materials from the UNESCO Dakar Office. The handover ceremony was held in Toubacouta, Senegal.
Representing the Director General of the NCAC, Deputy Director of Heritage Mamat Sallah expressed The Gambia’s gratitude for what he described as a “generous, timely and useful gift” that reflects the productive partnership between UNESCO and The Gambia through the ICH Pilot Inventory project.
He commended UNESCO Dakar Director Mr. Sanga and his team for their guidance, noting that the NCAC successfully executed the project in its entirety. “We were able to retire the financial report and also submitted the narrative report, thanks to the support of your staff, particularly Ms. Marie, Madam Nyingbola, and Ms. Anna,” he stated.
He emphasised that the newly delivered catalogues and materials serve as tangible evidence of the collaboration’s success. Unlike many projects that conclude with paperwork alone, he said, this initiative leaves behind resources that will be widely used and preserved.
“For the first time, The Gambia has been able to track the resources of its intangible cultural heritage knowledge that gives us pride, supports tourism, and strengthens preservation efforts,” he stated. He added that the catalogues will be accessible in Gambian schools, universities, and colleges, cementing their value for future generations.
Mamat Sallah also revealed that preparations are underway to introduce the catalogue’s content into school curricula in partnership with the National Commission for UNESCO and the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education. He noted that he recently joined officials in Janjanbureh to discuss implementation strategies, assuring UNESCO that the educational worksheets “will be fully implemented.”
However, he highlighted ongoing nationwide inventory work targeting 33 communities in the Central River Region and efforts to nominate a Gambian intangible cultural heritage element for UNESCO’s safeguarding list.
He, therefore, conveyed appreciation on behalf of the Government of The Gambia, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, the NCAC, and Director General Hassoum Ceesay to them while reaffirming The Gambia’s commitment to preserving its cultural heritage through continued collaboration with UNESCO.
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