Project record

Banjul Port fourth expansion and concession delivery

Passengers and vehicles aboard the commissioned Barra hybrid ferry on the Banjul-Barra crossing

African Development Bank; exact Barra green-ferry commissioning milestone within the Banjul Port Fourth Expansion

The Banjul Port Fourth Expansion is a USD 129.02 million programme combining public grants, government funding and approximately USD 98.64 million of planned private financing. Albayrak Group signed the port concession in July 2024 and Alport Banjul took over operations on 14 February 2025. A Damen-built hybrid ferry named Barra was commissioned on 23 March 2026. Those are real delivery milestones, but they do not prove completion of the programme's 345 m jetty extension, 22,000 m2 container-yard expansion, ferry-terminal relocation, widened access road or integrated port and customs systems.

Project signal

Delivery in The Gambia

Current status Port concession operating and green ferry commissioned; core jetty and container-terminal expansion completion remains unverified Source confidence Confirmed

Location

The Gambia / Africa

Segment

Port infrastructure

Status

Port concession operating and green ferry commissioned; core jetty and container-terminal expansion completion remains unverified / Confirmed

Last checked

16 August 2026

Coverage

Related sectors

Port infrastructure is the primary work classification. Related sectors connect this record to adjacent marine delivery and market coverage.

Subject index

Related subjects

These subject pages bring together related projects, technical articles, reports, and evidence methods.

Project anatomy

Contract scope and delivery roles

Client / authority
Government of The Gambia and Gambia Ports Authority, with the African Development Fund and Transition Support Facility financing the public programme
Delivery parties
Alport Banjul / Albayrak Group - port operator under the concession signed in July 2024; operations transferred on 14 February 2025, Albayrak and Negmar consortium - concessionaire consortium announced by Gambia Ports Authority in August 2023; current Negmar role is not publicly defined, Damen Shipyards - design and construction of the commissioned hybrid green ferry Barra, MTBS - concession transaction adviser and consultant for the Climate Resilient Integrated Transport Master Plan, Bund Road design and supervision consultant under the September 2024 REOI - not publicly identified, Jetty extension, container-terminal expansion, ferry-terminal relocation and Bund Road works contractors - not publicly verified
Contract route
Blended public and private delivery. The appraisal financing plan combines UA 15 million of AfDB-group grants, a UA 0.33 million adaptation grant, UA 6.83 million of government contribution and UA 71.96 million of private financing through the concession process. Gambia Ports Authority announced Albayrak and Negmar as the selected PPP consortium in August 2023; a concession with Albayrak Group was signed in July 2024, followed by Alport Banjul's operating takeover in February 2025. AfDB procurement separately delivered the green ferry. A September 2024 QCBS route sought a consultant for detailed design, tender support and construction supervision of the Bund Road package, and a March 2025 EOI sought an independent technical audit. Consultant selections, the Bund Road works award and the core jetty and terminal civil-works chain remain undisclosed.
Execution window
AfDB approved the project on 16 December 2022 and records it as ongoing, with planned completion on 30 November 2027. The concession was signed in July 2024, Alport Banjul began operating the port on 14 February 2025 and the green ferry was commissioned on 23 March 2026. The government project page reports active pavement, terminal rehabilitation, yard expansion and digitalisation, but it does not reconcile those works with the 345 m jetty extension or the 22,000 m2 terminal-area increase.
Works package
The programme basis includes extending the existing 250 m jetty by 345 m to a 595 m total berth line, expanding the container terminal from 41,000 m2 to 63,000 m2, relocating and improving the Banjul ferry terminal, supplying green ferries, widening approximately 3 km of port access road, introducing port and customs operating systems, and adding climate-resilience measures. The Bund Road consultancy covers approximately 3.5 km of Bund Road and Cotton Street, including field, topographical, geotechnical, hydrology, drainage and geometric-design work, utilities and stakeholder coordination, bidding documents, bid evaluation and construction supervision. Current public evidence confirms the concession operating transition and one commissioned hybrid ferry, not completion of every listed package.
Marine interfaces
The operating port must integrate the existing and extended berth line, channel access, quay structure, fenders and mooring points, terminal pavement and drainage, cargo-handling systems, road interface, customs and terminal software, ferry ramps and vessel operations. Concession performance gains can occur through equipment and operating changes before the new marine civil capacity is delivered, so vessel waiting-time improvements do not by themselves certify the jetty extension, yard area or ferry-terminal works.
Commercial evidence boundary
The operator and ferry builder are identified, but the civil marine chain remains incomplete. The unresolved records cover jetty-extension and terminal-expansion design, works and supervision; Bund Road design and construction; ferry-terminal relocation; pavement and drainage quantities; dredging or berth-pocket requirements; fenders, bollards and navigation aids; systems integration; and accepted as-built capacity. Concession capital, AfDB-financed packages and GPA-funded works have different contracting and funding bases.

Project timeline

Material developments

Dated events that changed scope, counterparties, delivery, commissioning or operating status.

Open this project in the Change Log

The Damen-built Barra hybrid ferry entered service

Commissioning closed one AfDB-financed vessel package and added a low-emission Banjul-Barra asset. It did not complete the port jetty, container terminal, ferry-terminal relocation or road packages.

Source

AfDB published the project technical-audit EOI

The EOI opened an independent implementation-assessment workstream. It did not name the selected auditor or certify any completed civil package.

Source

Alport Banjul took over port operations

The concession moved from agreement into operating control. Alport reports faster vessel handling after the transfer, but operating performance does not establish the civil expansion's as-built dimensions.

Source

The Bund Road design and supervision REOI was issued

The QCBS consultancy route defined surveys, detailed design, tender support and supervision for approximately 3.5 km of Bund Road and Cotton Street. It did not establish a consultant award or works mobilisation.

Source

The Government signed the port concession

The July 2024 agreement activated the private-finance route identified in the appraisal plan. Public summaries name Albayrak Group, while the exact civil-package and Negmar boundaries remain incomplete.

Source

Gambia Ports Authority announced the selected PPP consortium

GPA identified Albayrak and Negmar as concessionaires and MTBS as transaction adviser, but did not publish the full package schedule or assign the jetty works.

Source

AfDB approved the fourth-expansion financing

The approval fixed the programme scope, blended-finance structure and public targets for the jetty, terminal, ferry, road and digital systems.

Source

Evidence gap

What remains unverified

Outstanding evidence

  • Jetty-extension design, works and supervision award
  • Container-terminal expansion contractor and accepted 63,000 m2 area
  • Berth-pocket, channel or maintenance-dredging scope
  • Quay piles, deck, fenders, bollards and navigation aids
  • Ferry-terminal relocation, ramps and accepted operating interface
  • Bund Road design-supervision consultant, works award and climate-resilient completion
  • Independent technical-audit consultant and findings
  • Port and customs operating-system installation and acceptance
  • Concession capex obligations and Alport delivery reporting
  • AfDB results update after the March 2026 ferry commissioning
  • Project completion report and reconciliation of public and private packages

Related records 2

Reporting status

Delivery, confirmed confidence

Last checked 16 August 2026 across 11 cited sources. The dated timeline above carries the project events.

Last checked 16 August 2026 Cited sources 11

Sources and related records

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Source collections

Project sources 11