20/07/2025
WHY THE GAMBIA MUST WAKE UP TO A 24-HOUR ECONOMY
By the Renaissance Quill……..
Right now, The Gambia runs on a 9-to-5 schedule. By 6pm, most offices are closed. Streets go quiet. Shops lock up. And a nation with massive unemployment and untapped talent goes to sleep while the rest of the world works.
It’s time we change that.
What if we told you that by moving to a three-shift, 24-hour economic system, we could:
Triple productivity
Create thousands of new jobs
Boost investor confidence
Make The Gambia safer at night
And even reduce traffic during the day?
Here’s why The Gambia must rethink how it works.
One Job Can Become Three
With 3 shifts (Morning, Evening, Night), every existing role opens up three times the opportunity.
Imagine hospitals, factories, call centers, restaurants, delivery services, and digital jobs hiring around the clock. This is a game-changer for youth employment!
A Non-Stop Economy = More Money
Businesses operating 24/7 can produce and sell more. Farmers can process goods longer. Restaurants can stay open for night workers. Entrepreneurs can run shops late into the night. Even government services can become faster and more efficient with night shifts.
Safety Through Activity
When streets are empty, crime thrives. But when people are working, patrolling, driving, cleaning, or buying groceries at 2AM, criminals think twice. A busy city is a safer city.
We Become Globally Competitive
In today’s world, clients don’t wait for Gambian time zones. IT, tourism, online services, BPOs (call centers) all need night coverage. We lose opportunities daily because we’re sleeping while the world is working.
Less Traffic, Less Stress
If we space out activity across the day and night, rush hour is reduced, roads are less congested, and services are better accessed. No more long queues at offices or traffic jams in the heat.
New Night Economy
The nightlife becomes more than clubs. It becomes business.
Think:
24/7 supermarkets and pharmacies
Night transport services
Entertainment, cleaning, printing, security, repairs
Digital work-from-home jobs
It’s a whole new economic frontier waiting to be tapped.
Real Development Starts With Bold Change
Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria, Ghana & many are moving toward 24-hour sectors. Why not us? Why can’t the Smiling Coast be the working coast, day and night?
What We Must Do:
Update labor laws to support 3 shifts
Invest in security, lighting, and transport at night
Encourage businesses to run multiple shifts
Train youth for nighttime work
Run public awareness on the benefits of 24-hour life
The Gambia Can’t Afford to Sleep Anymore
Our youth are ready. The ideas are here. The benefits are clear.
Let’s stop limiting development to sunlight hours.
fans Ministry of Transport Works and Infrastructure, Gambia-MOTWI