AI regulation in Gambia: laws & policy (2026)

Legal framework

No dedicated AI law or strategy; AI-adjacent governance provided by the Personal Data Protection and Privacy Act 2025 and the National Digital Economy Master Plan 2024-2034, under the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy (MOCDE) and the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA)

Key points: artificial intelligence in Gambia

1. 01No dedicated AI law

   As of May 2026, The Gambia has enacted no standalone AI legislation, published no national AI strategy document, and issued no formal AI guidelines or principles. AI is not explicitly regulated as a technology category.

   dig.watch babl.ai

2. 02Data Protection Act 2025

   The Personal Data Protection and Privacy Act 2025, unanimously passed by the National Assembly on 29 September 2025 and assented to by President Barrow on 7 November 2025, applies to automated personal-data processing, providing the closest existing check on AI systems that handle personal data. Maximum penalties reach GMD 1,000,000 or 5% of annual gross income for legal entities.

   techhiveadvisory.africa babl.ai dataguidance.com

3. 03Digital Economy Master Plan 2024-2034

   The government's primary strategic document is the National Digital Economy Master Plan 2024-2034, published by MOCDE. It explicitly includes development and use of AI and analytics across all spheres of society as an objective, but sets no binding AI-specific rules or governance requirements.

   mocde.gov.gm data.gov.gm

4. 04Cybersecurity Policy 2022-2026

   The National Cybersecurity Policy 2022-2026, administered by MOCDE and PURA via the GM-CSIRT, provides a framework for ICT security but does not address AI governance specifically.

   mocde.gov.gm pura.gm

5. 05Malabo Convention signatory

   The Gambia signed the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo Convention) in December 2022, committing to regional norms on data protection and cybersecurity that bear indirectly on AI applications.

   dig.watch babl.ai

6. 06Capacity-building only on AI

   Concrete AI activity remains at the training and awareness stage: a Commonwealth Secretariat-supported 'Train the Trainers' workshop on Python and AI was held at the University of The Gambia in August 2024, and UNDP launched its 2025 Human Development Report in Banjul with a focus on harnessing AI for inclusive growth, signalling international engagement but no regulatory output.

   dig.watch undp.org

Sources

1. 1.mocde.gov.gm/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/National-Digital-Economy-Masterplan.pdf
2. 2.data.gov.gm/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Final-The-Gambia-Digital-Economy-Master-Pl
3. 3.babl.ai/gambia-passes-landmark-data-protection-and-privacy-law/
4. 4.techhiveadvisory.africa/insights/review-of-gambias-personal-data-protection-and-privacy-act-2
5. 5.dataguidance.com/news/gambia-national-assembly-passes-personal-data
6. 6.mocde.gov.gm/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Cybersecurity-Policy-2022-2026-Final-1.pdf
7. 7.pura.gm/ict/overview/
8. 8.dig.watch/countries/gambia
9. 9.undp.org/gambia/press-releases/undp-gambia-launches-2025-global-human-developm