THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA
Ministry of Youth & Sports The Quadrangle
Banjul
PRESS RELEASE
BANJUL, 7TH SEPTEMBER 2026
THE GAMBIA ELECTED TO CHAIR AFRICAN UNION SPORTS COUNCIL REGION 2 CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS
The Ministry of Youth and Sports is pleased to announce that the Hon. Minister for Youth and Sports, Bakary Y. Badjie, has been elected Chairperson of the African Union Sports Council (AUSC) Region 2 Conference of Ministers.
The election took place during the virtual meeting of the AUSC Region 2 Conference of Ministers held on 3 September 2026, where Member States confirmed The Gambia to lead the Bureau of the Conference for the 2026–2028 term, succeeding Nigeria that served as chair over the years.
Following the election, Guinea was confirmed as Vice Chairperson, while Cabo Verde was
elected Rapporteur. The newly constituted Bureau will be responsible for steering the affairs of the Conference of Ministers and providing leadership on regional cooperation and coordination in the field of sport for the two-year mandate.
AUSC Region 2 brings together 15 Member States, namely Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria,
Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
The election of Hon. Badjie to this regional leadership position is a significant recognition of The Gambia’s growing contribution to sports development and regional cooperation.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports welcomes the confidence placed in The Gambia by fellow Member States and reaffirms its commitment to working collaboratively with all AUSC Region 2 countries to promote the development of sport, strengthen institutional
cooperation, and advance shared regional priorities.
END
Issued by:
Ministry of Youth and Sports
Tel: 4225265/4225264 Web: moys.gov.gm Email: info@moys.gov.gm
