The National Audit Offices of the Republic of The Gambia and the United Republic of Tanzania signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Wednesday, 15 July 2026, aimed at advancing public sector auditing.
The MoU reflects the shared belief of the two Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) that by working together, they can build stronger institutions that uphold integrity, promote transparency, and contribute meaningfully to improved governance and public financial management in their respective countries. It also symbolizes their commitment to sustained cooperation, mutual learning, knowledge sharing, and institutional capacity development.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Cherno Amadou Sowe, Auditor General of The Gambia’s National Audit Office, highlighted the steady progress made in strengthening institutional capacity and enhancing the quality of public sector auditing.
“Guided by our vision of promoting accountability, transparency, and good governance, we have continued to build a modern, professional, and responsive Supreme Audit Institution in service of the people of The Gambia,” he said.
He emphasized that sustainable institutional development is built upon collaboration, partnership, and the willingness to learn from one another. Through SAI-to-SAI cooperation and the broader support of the AFROSAI-E community, The Gambia’s Audit Office has significantly strengthened its institutional capacity.
Among its achievements, he noted improvements in staff competencies across specialized audit disciplines, including Extractive Industries Audits, Information Systems Audits, Forensic Audits, Performance Audits, Public Debt Audits, and Climate Audits. The office has also customized and implemented the AFROSAI-E Financial Audit Manual to suit national contexts, thereby improving audit methodologies and enhancing the credibility of audit reports.
“These achievements demonstrate the immense value of professional cooperation among Supreme Audit Institutions,” he said, adding that the MoU represents more than a formal agreement—it is a framework for collaboration in areas such as capacity building, technical cooperation, staff exchanges, professional development, joint initiatives, and the exchange of best practices.
He stressed that the partnership aligns with AFROSAI-E’s broader vision of encouraging collaboration among African SAIs to strengthen institutional performance and promote excellence in public sector auditing.
Sowe recalled that the relationship between the two institutions began earlier, citing a benchmarking visit by The Gambia’s Audit Office to Tanzania in July 2024. That visit, he said, laid the foundation for the partnership now being formalized.
“As we strengthen cooperation between our two institutions, we also reaffirm our shared responsibility to promote accountability, transparency, integrity, and good governance for the benefit of future generations,” he concluded.
For his part, Sir Charles Edward Kichere, Controller and Auditor General of Tanzania’s National Audit Office, pledged his institution’s full support under the MoU.
“First, we will make available our competent professionals, placing experienced staff at the service of this cooperation for the full duration of our partnership. Second, we will support the audit of the Central Bank of The Gambia,” he said.
Kichere underscored that strong and independent SAIs are essential to public trust, sound management of public resources, and good governance.
“When African audit institutions support one another, we strengthen accountability across our continent. This partnership demonstrates the value of cooperation among SAIs in the global south,” he added.
