NAWEC Conducts Smart Water Meter Sensitization Across URR and CRR Under GIRAV Project

From 14 to 16 April 2026, the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) carried its smart water meter sensitization campaign deep into the country’s interior, conducting a structured three-day community outreach exercise across the Upper River Region (URR) and Central River Region (CRR). The exercise forms part of NAWEC’s broader engagement strategy under the World Bank–financed GIRAV Project, which is driving the nationwide replacement of conventional analogue water meters with modern smart (digital) meters.

The outreach team was led by Mr. Demba Chune, Senior Manager, Water and Sewerage Business Unit, and brought together community leaders, local authorities, town development committees, and media to ensure that residents in these regions are fully informed about the upcoming metering transition and its benefits for water billing accuracy and service reliability.

The exercise commenced in Basse, the administrative capital of the Upper River Region, where the team began with a series of courtesy calls on key regional authorities. Mr. Demba Chune and his team were received by the Governor of URR, Mr. Samba Bah, the Head of Alkalous, Hon. Sellu Bah, and ward Alkalous across the district. All officials warmly welcomed the initiative and expressed their full endorsement of the smart meter rollout, recognising its potential to improve water service delivery and transparency for communities in the region.

The day also featured a live radio sensitization programme on Taxi FM 101.7, reaching a broad listenership across the region and providing an opportunity for communities to hear directly about the project. The outreach continued into the evening with a structured stakeholder meeting convened with Town Development Committees (TDCs) at the Basse Red Cross Conference Hall, where residents raised questions and concerns that were addressed by the NAWEC team.

The second day took the team to Bansang in the Central River Region, where engagements followed a similarly structured programme. Courtesy calls were paid on the Alkalo of Bansang and the family of the late Khalipha General, Alhagie Boubacarr Jallow, an important protocol reflecting NAWEC’s respect for community leadership and tradition.

Meetings with Town Development Committees provided a focused platform for community members to raise longstanding concerns around billing accuracy, water quality, and leakages — all areas where the smart meter system is expected to bring measurable improvements. The day concluded with a radio sensitization programme on Bansang Community Radio (107.2 FM), extending the reach of the campaign to households across the district.

The sensitization exercise concluded in Janjangbureh, the historic island town on the River Gambia. The team paid a courtesy call on the Deputy Governor of the Central River Region, Hon. Sainey Mbye, and held substantive engagements with the Chief of Janjangbureh, the VDC Chairman, and district representatives. Community leaders expressed strong support for the project and offered prayers for its successful implementation — a powerful affirmation of the goodwill generated across all three days of outreach.

Across all three locations, the outreach exercise succeeded in building stakeholder awareness and generating broad community endorsement for the smart meter transition. The exercise reinforced that when communities are engaged early and transparently, they become active advocates for infrastructure change rather than passive recipients.

The smart water meter replacement programme under the GIRAV Project represents a significant step forward in NAWEC’s infrastructure modernisation agenda. By replacing outdated analogue meters with accurate digital technology, NAWEC aims to deliver fairer billing, reduce revenue losses from meter inaccuracies, and lay the groundwork for data-driven water management across The Gambia.

NAWEC remains committed to inclusive stakeholder engagement as the project advances into its implementation phase, ensuring that every community served is informed, prepared, and supported throughout the transition.