{"id":2574,"date":"2026-04-22T19:28:43","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T19:28:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nawec.gm\/?p=2574"},"modified":"2026-04-22T19:28:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T19:28:43","slug":"taking-the-media-to-the-ground-nawec-opens-up-the-wasib-project-to-public-scrutiny","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nawec.gm\/?p=2574","title":{"rendered":"Taking the Media to the Ground: NAWEC Opens Up the WASIB Project to Public Scrutiny"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style>\n  @import url('https:\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css2?family=Playfair+Display:wght@400;600&family=Source+Serif+4:ital,wght@0,300;0,400;1,300&display=swap');\n\n  :root {\n    --nawec-navy: #003366;\n    --nawec-gold: #C8922A;\n    --nawec-gold-light: #F5E6C8;\n    --nawec-teal: #0a6b5e;\n    --nawec-teal-light: #e0f2ee;\n    --nawec-blue-light: #e8edf5;\n  }\n\n  .wasib-wrap {\n    max-width: 860px;\n    margin: 2rem auto;\n    padding: 0 1.5rem 3rem;\n    font-family: 'Source Serif 4', Georgia, serif;\n    color: #1a1a1a;\n  }\n\n  \/* Logo bar *\/\n  .wasib-wrap .nawec-logo-bar {\n    display: flex;\n    align-items: center;\n    gap: 14px;\n    padding: 0.9rem 1.2rem;\n    background: var(--nawec-navy);\n    border-radius: 4px;\n    margin-bottom: 1.5rem;\n  }\n  .wasib-wrap .nawec-logo-bar img { height: 44px; 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height: auto; }\n  }\n<\/style>\n\n<div class=\"wasib-wrap\">\n\n  <!-- Logo bar -->\n  <div class=\"nawec-logo-bar\">\n    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nawec.gm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/cropped-logo2-1.jpg\" alt=\"NAWEC Logo\">\n    <div class=\"logo-divider\"><\/div>\n    <div>\n      <div class=\"logo-text\">NAWEC<\/div>\n      <div class=\"logo-sub\">National Water &amp; Electricity Company<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"bar-section-label\">Water Services &nbsp;|&nbsp; WASIB Project<\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <!-- Story header -->\n  <div class=\"story-header\">\n    <div class=\"story-category\">Water Services &nbsp;|&nbsp; Media Engagement &nbsp;|&nbsp; WASIB Project<\/div>\n    <h1 class=\"story-title\">Taking the Media to the Ground: NAWEC Opens Up the WASIB Project to Public Scrutiny<\/h1>\n    <p class=\"story-dek\">A media caravan tour across the Greater Banjul Area gives journalists and the public a first-hand look at the AFD-funded Water Supply Improvement Project \u2014 and the communities set to benefit from it.<\/p>\n    <div class=\"story-meta\">\n      <strong>NAWEC Corporate Communications<\/strong> &nbsp;|&nbsp; Greater Banjul Area, The Gambia\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <!-- Hero photo \u2014 group shot leads the story -->\n  <div class=\"photo-block\">\n    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nawec.gm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/DSC_5092.jpg\" alt=\"NAWEC media caravan group photo \u2014 WASIB Project tour\">\n    <div class=\"photo-caption\"><strong>Media Caravan Tour:<\/strong> NAWEC officials, project representatives, and members of the press during the WASIB Project media caravan across the Greater Banjul Area. (Credit: NAWEC Corporate Communications)<\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <!-- Opening body -->\n  <div class=\"story-body\">\n    <p>When infrastructure work is underway, the best way to tell the story is to go there. That was the principle behind NAWEC&#8217;s media caravan tour across the Greater Banjul Area \u2014 an exercise designed not just to communicate progress on the Water Supply Improvement Project (WASIB), but to put journalists and the public right at the centre of it.<\/p>\n    <p>The tour brought together members of the media and NAWEC project officials for a structured, on-the-ground assessment of active construction sites, giving reporters direct access to the infrastructure works and the teams driving them forward. The exercise forms part of NAWEC&#8217;s broader commitment to transparency and accountability in the delivery of publicly funded projects.<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <!-- Facts strip -->\n  <div class=\"facts-strip\">\n    <div class=\"fact-item\">\n      <div class=\"fact-value\">AFD<\/div>\n      <div class=\"fact-label\">Grant Financing \u2014 French Development Agency<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"fact-item\">\n      <div class=\"fact-value\">1,000 m\u00b3<\/div>\n      <div class=\"fact-label\">Capacity of Each New Elevated Water Tank<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"fact-item\">\n      <div class=\"fact-value\">GBA<\/div>\n      <div class=\"fact-label\">Project Coverage Area \u2014 Greater Banjul Area<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"fact-item\">\n      <div class=\"fact-value\">2027<\/div>\n      <div class=\"fact-label\">Expected Project Completion<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <!-- About the project -->\n  <h2 class=\"section-heading\">About the WASIB Project<\/h2>\n\n  <div class=\"story-body\">\n    <p>The Water Supply Improvement Project is funded through a grant from the Agence Fran\u00e7aise de D\u00e9veloppement (AFD) and represents one of the most significant investments in the Greater Banjul Area&#8217;s water infrastructure in recent years. It addresses a challenge that has grown steadily with The Gambia&#8217;s expanding urban population \u2014 the rising demand for reliable, safe, and consistent water supply across densely populated communities.<\/p>\n    <p>At its core, the project is designed to overhaul the ageing infrastructure that underpins the GBA&#8217;s water distribution network. This means building new elevated water tanks to replace outdated structures, rehabilitating selected existing tanks, upgrading distribution systems, increasing production capacity, and improving water quality management across the service area.<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <!-- Omar Sanneh profile block with quote -->\n  <div class=\"profile-block\">\n    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nawec.gm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/DSC_5115.jpg\" alt=\"Omar Sanneh \u2014 Head of Water, NAWEC Water Business Unit\">\n    <div class=\"profile-content\">\n      <div class=\"profile-name\">Omar Sanneh<\/div>\n      <div class=\"profile-title\">Head of Water &nbsp;\u00b7&nbsp; NAWEC Water Business Unit<\/div>\n      <div class=\"profile-quote\">&#8220;The WASIB Project is not just about building tanks \u2014 it is about building a system that is fit for the future. The Greater Banjul Area is growing rapidly, and we need infrastructure that can meet that growth reliably and sustainably. What communities will see when this project is complete is a water supply that they can depend on.&#8221;<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <!-- Construction sites section -->\n  <h2 class=\"section-heading\">Where Work Is Happening<\/h2>\n\n  <div class=\"story-body\">\n    <p>Construction activities are currently active across several communities in the Greater Banjul Area. The media tour provided direct access to these sites, giving journalists the opportunity to observe the scale of work underway and speak with project representatives overseeing implementation.<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <div class=\"sites-box\">\n    <h3>Active Construction Communities<\/h3>\n    <ul class=\"sites-list\">\n      <li>Latrikunda German<\/li>\n      <li>Serrekunda<\/li>\n      <li>Yundum<\/li>\n      <li>And other communities across the GBA<\/li>\n    <\/ul>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <!-- Two-col: project reps + Sainabou -->\n  <div class=\"two-col-photos\">\n    <div class=\"photo-block\">\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nawec.gm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/DSC_5181.jpg\" alt=\"WASIB Project representatives at site\">\n      <div class=\"photo-caption\">WASIB Project representatives during the media tour, providing journalists with on-site briefings on construction progress. (Credit: NAWEC Corporate Communications)<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"photo-block\">\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nawec.gm\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/DSC_5096.jpg\" alt=\"Sainabou Jagne \u2014 Senior Water Distribution Manager, NAWEC\">\n      <div class=\"photo-caption\"><strong>Sainabou Jagne<\/strong>, Senior Water Distribution Manager, at one of the active WASIB Project sites during the GBA media caravan tour. (Credit: NAWEC Corporate Communications)<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <!-- What it means for communities -->\n  <h2 class=\"section-heading\">What It Means for Communities<\/h2>\n\n  <div class=\"story-body\">\n    <p>The construction of new elevated water tanks \u2014 each with a capacity of 1,000 cubic metres \u2014 will replace aging infrastructure that has long strained the GBA&#8217;s ability to deliver consistent water pressure and supply. The rehabilitation of selected existing tanks will complement this work by expanding storage and improving system efficiency across the network.<\/p>\n    <p>Together, these interventions are expected to deliver tangible improvements for households, businesses, and public facilities across the Greater Banjul Area: more reliable water availability, stabilised pressure throughout the distribution network, and a significant reduction in the service disruptions that communities currently experience.<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <div class=\"pullquote\">\n    <p>&#8220;Once completed, these works are expected to improve water supply reliability, stabilise pressure, and reduce the service disruptions that communities across the Greater Banjul Area currently face.&#8221;<\/p>\n    <cite>\u2014 NAWEC Water Supply Improvement Project<\/cite>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <!-- Closing -->\n  <h2 class=\"section-heading\">A Project Built on Transparency<\/h2>\n\n  <div class=\"story-body\">\n    <p>The media caravan is itself a statement of intent. By opening active construction sites to the press and putting project officials in direct conversation with journalists, NAWEC is demonstrating that the WASIB Project is not just a technical undertaking \u2014 it is a public commitment, and the public has a right to see how it is progressing.<\/p>\n    <p>The Water Supply Improvement Project is expected to be completed by 2027. NAWEC remains committed to delivering improved water services for the Greater Banjul Area while keeping all stakeholders and the wider public fully informed throughout the project&#8217;s implementation.<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <div class=\"post-footer\">\n    <div class=\"tag-row\">\n      <span class=\"tag\">WASIB Project<\/span>\n      <span class=\"tag\">Water Services<\/span>\n      <span class=\"tag\">AFD<\/span>\n      <span class=\"tag\">Greater Banjul Area<\/span>\n      <span class=\"tag\">Media Engagement<\/span>\n      <span class=\"tag\">Infrastructure<\/span>\n      <span class=\"tag\">NAWEC<\/span>\n    <\/div>\n    <div class=\"post-meta\">Published by NAWEC Corporate Communications<\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NAWEC National Water &amp; Electricity Company Water Services &nbsp;|&nbsp; WASIB Project Water Services &nbsp;|&nbsp; Media Engagement &nbsp;|&nbsp; WASIB Project Taking the Media to the Ground: NAWEC Opens Up the WASIB Project to Public Scrutiny A media caravan tour across the Greater Banjul Area gives journalists and the public a first-hand look at the AFD-funded Water [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2569,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,3,19,340],"tags":[225,226,366,10,29,254,356,65],"class_list":["post-2574","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-investor-relations","category-latest_news","category-electricity-press-releases-in-the-gambia","category-public-notice","tag-afd","tag-greater-banjul-area","tag-media-engagement","tag-nawec","tag-the-gambia","tag-wasib-project","tag-water-services","tag-water-supply"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-30 15:05:12","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nawec.gm\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nawec.gm\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nawec.gm\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nawec.gm\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nawec.gm\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2574"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/nawec.gm\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2576,"href":"https:\/\/nawec.gm\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2574\/revisions\/2576"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nawec.gm\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2569"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nawec.gm\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2574"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nawec.gm\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2574"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nawec.gm\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2574"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}