Fact-check: Does the University of The Gambia have 7,000 students?
The difference between 7,000 and 9,335 students is more than a statistical discrepancy: it raises questions about the accuracy of figures used in public discussions about the University of The Gambia. While the information minister argued that a few hundred protesters should not be taken to represent the entire student body, the university’s actual enrolment tells a different story about its size and why the scale of students’ welfare concerns matters.
The claim
On October 27, 2026, Information Minister Dr Ismaila Ceesay said the University of The Gambia (UTG) has 7,000 students during his weekly government updates on Coffee Time, a radio programme hosted by Peter Gomez.
Minister Ceesay was addressing the student protest held on October 26 over concerns about transportation, clean drinking water, internet connectivity, catering services and other campus conditions. Protesters also called for the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Professor Herbert Robinson.
At the 5:32 mark of the broadcast, Ceesay said: “UTG has 7,000 students, you cannot use the actions of few hundred students to say all students are failing.”
Malagen verifies
Malagen contacted Professor Momodou Mustapha Fanneh, chairperson of UTG’s Governing Council, who confirmed that the university has 9,335 enrolled students, 2,335 more than the figure cited by Ceesay, an understatement of approximately 25 per cent.
Other public records support this finding. In October 2025, UTG announced that it had admitted 2,831 new students at its 14th matriculation ceremony, of whom 50.7 per cent were women and 49.3 per cent men.
Matriculation figures reflect new admissions, not total enrolment, which includes continuing students. UTG’s 2026 academic calendar scheduled this year’s ceremony for October 21, but it has since been postponed. The university offers 50 undergraduate, 17 master’s and five PhD programmes, with recent additions including Pharmacy, Veterinary Science, Food Science, Psychology and Social Work.
Although the number of students attending a protest does not necessarily reflect the views of the entire student population, that is separate from the accuracy of Ceesay’s enrolment figure. The current figure confirmed to Malagen by the Governing Council chairperson provides the most direct evidence that the minister’s claim is inaccurate.
Verdict:
Dr Ismaila Ceesay’s claim that the University of The Gambia has 7,000 students is therefore false.
