NGO Affairs Agency (NGOAA)

The NGO Affairs Agency is the semi-autonomous government body set up by the 1996 NGO Decree to act as the administrative link between government and NGOs operating in The Gambia. It processes and grants clearance certificates to prospective NGOs before they incorporate under the Companies Act, and monitors NGO compliance and activities. These details come from the Decree text and secondary sources, as no official agency website was found.

According to the 1996 Decree and secondary reports, an organisation first obtains a clearance certificate from the NGO Affairs Agency, then incorporates under the Companies Act with the Registrar General (Attorney General's Chambers / Ministry of Justice), and signs a Memorandum of Understanding/protocol with the government. Older reports list requirements such as a certificate of incorporation, a bank account with at least two signatories and an agreement with the relevant line ministry. Registered NGOs must submit to the Agency an annual work programme and budget, an annual report, work plans for the following year, and financial statements audited by Agency-approved auditors. The Agency uses these filings to monitor NGO operations. A new NGO bill was under consultation from 2020, but its enactment could not be confirmed.