Building global links and growing local chemistry talent in The Gambia | Opinion

The Chemical Society of The Gambia (CSG) became a member of Commonwealth Chemistry in 2022, a milestone that has provided the society with valuable partnership opportunities, guidance and enhanced visibility. Through Commonwealth Chemistry’s commitment to equality among member societies, CSG has benefited from fair access to conferences, virtual poster events and participation in executive elections, including both voting and eligibility to be voted into leadership positions.

Without Commonwealth Chemistry’s sponsorship of CSG, it would be impossible for any member of CSG to attend any of the Commonwealth Chemistry conferences due to lack of funds. CSG prioritises selecting delegates from among early career chemists and young scientists who have conducted their research in The Gambia. This approach promotes local talent, encourages scientific growth and fosters innovation despite resource limitations. It also reflects the CSG’s commitment to building a culture of homegrown scientific excellence.

So far, 11 research works have been presented at Commonwealth Chemistry conferences. Two Gambian members have won a poster prize. They have expressed specific ways in which membership of the CSG in Commonwealth Chemistry has helped them.

At Commonwealth Chemistry’s 5th annual online poster event in 2024, Muhammed Nyass was the first Gambian to win a poster prize, for his poster ‘Impact of Rainwater on the Water Quality along the River Gambia’. He worked in a research institute on a part-time basis while he was an undergraduate, where he was involved in a lot of environment-related research. His poster reported the findings of his undergraduate research project, so to have his poster selected as a winner provided a lot of motivation for him to become more involved in marine chemistry. He felt that the award demonstrated that his work was impactful.

At the 6th online poster event, Abdoulie Baldeh won a prize for his poster ‘Production and Characterisation of Biofilm from Seaweed-Extracted from Shrimps’. He says: ‘My participation validated my scientific work and enhanced the credibility of my research findings.’ His presentation was based on an undergraduate research project at the University of The Gambia, which does not have the most well-resourced chemistry laboratory in The Gambia; so, for Baldeh to have his poster be among the ones that won is a huge thing. Baldeh feels that the recognition has contributed to national development.