FactCheck: Gambian Minister’s Claim on University Transport Debunked

Information Minister Dr Ceesay © Askanwi

By Harry Chris Faye

Speaking at QTV’s This Morning Show, Information Minister Dr. Ceesay claimed that The Gambia is the only country that builds a university and shuttles students to the university.

Claim: “Look at higher education; what are we subsidising? The Gambia is the only country where the government builds a university in a place and takes students from where they live to go and learn at that university by providing the bus service at a well-discounted rate,” said Minister for Information, Media, and Broadcasting Services, Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, on 20th November 2024.

Watch the relevant section in the link below from the 1 hr 9 min and 12 seconds mark. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57gXb-svPpQ

FactCheck: Our reporter contacted numerous journalists across the African continent to verify whether their governments have built Universities and provided a shuttle bus service for students. In response, we received examples from Senegal, Liberia, Kenya, and Ghana.

Liberia: According to our correspondent in Liberia, there is one main public University and at least three regional technical colleges. The oldest university is located in Monrovia. According to the journalist who works for the government, the bus service for the state University is provided at a discounted rate. Our correspondent also noted that the unavailability of buses at times due to breakdowns leads to protests.

Senegal: Speaking to our correspondent in Senegal, Amadou Barry, he noted that the government has built up to six public universities, including Cheikh Anta Diop University, Alioune Diop University of Bambey, and Gaston Berger University, to name a few. Our correspondent explains that in Dakar, at least 100,000 students are present, and many of them are accommodated in the social campus built by the state. Due to government subvention, students don’t pay for accommodation, electricity, and water bills. In addition, students are paid a stipend equivalent to D4,500, with the lowest being paid D2,500. With regards to feeding, students’ food is subsidised by the government, with a plate of food costing approximately D10.

Kenya: Speaking to another journalist in Kenya has revealed that they have over 30 public universities built by the government, including “subsidised accommodation to students as part of their efforts to enhance access to higher education at significantly lower than the market price.” In addition to this, Kenya has a Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), which provides “financial assistance to students.” These loans can be used “to cover tuition fees and living expenses, including accommodation costs.” However, one of the concerns raised by our correspondent is that “the Kenyan government has recently made changes to this system, but the changes are not working well.”

Ghana: Our correspondent in Ghana highlights that there are multiple public universities in their country, such as the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University of Cape Coast, and the University of Development Studies, to name a few. He adds that it is common practice to provide student bus service, with the state’s Ghana Education Trust Fund donating buses and vehicles to public universities to “assist the commuting of students from their various halls to their facilities.”

Verdict: According to correspondence with journalists from at least four different African countries, their governments have built multiple universities, provided housing accommodations that are always subsidised, and, in the case of Senegal, provided it for free. In addition, other African countries provide access to student loans to pay for their tuition and other living expenses. In the case of Senegal, the government provides free accommodation, subsidised feeding, and pays students a monthly stipend to cover their living expenses.

In the case of Ghana, buses are provided for students to shuttle from halls and faculties, while in the case of Liberia, a bus service is provided at a discounted price. Meanwhile, in The Gambia, the student accommodation at Faraba Banta Campus is currently under construction, resulting in the government providing a student bus service in the interim.

This highlights that Information Minister Dr. Ceesay’s claim that only The Gambia builds a university campus and shuttles students is FALSE.