President Adama Barrow to launch GAMREN at WACREN 2026 Conference

President Adama Barrow to launch GAMREN at WACREN 2026 Conference The President of The Gambia, His Excellency Mr. Adama Barrow, will officially launch the Gambia Research and Education Network (GAMREN) and declare open the West and Central African Research and Education Network (WACREN) 2026 Conference in Banjul.

His attendance at this important event shows the country’s strong commitment to digital transformation, research excellence, and innovation-driven growth. President Barrow’s presence highlights The Gambia’s goal to make research and education central to its socio-economic plans. The launch of GAMREN marks a historic milestone for the country’s higher education and research ecosystem. As The Gambia’s National Research and Education Network (NREN), GAMREN will connect universities, research institutions, government research agencies and innovation hubs to high-speed, secure digital infrastructure and advanced digital services, enabling collaboration locally, regionally, and globally.

The President’s involvement shows how important GAMREN is to national development. It aims to support world-class research, improve digital skills, and encourage innovation that meets the country’s key priorities.

The WACREN Conference, organized every year by WACREN and hosted by GAMREN in 2026, is known as the leading event for research and education communities in West and Central Africa. It brings together NRENs, university leaders, policymakers, IT experts, researchers, funders, development partners, and private companies to discuss trusted digital infrastructure, open science, cybersecurity, climate research, and digital sovereignty.

The event will also welcome the Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (MoHERST), the Minister of Digital Economy of Burkina Faso, representatives from the European Union Delegation, diplomatic missions in The Gambia, government agencies, and important development partners.

WACREN 2026 is co-funded by the European Commission through the AfricaConnect project under its Global Gateway programme. This partnership highlights the strong collaboration between Africa and Europe to build resilient digital infrastructure and promote open, inclusive innovation. For GAMREN, hosting the WACREN Conference is an important step toward its goals to boost innovation, strengthen collaboration between institutions, and firmly place The Gambia in the connected future of research and education across Africa and beyond.