𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥: 𝐈𝐬 𝐍𝐀𝐖𝐄𝐂 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬?

At a time when Gambians are grappling with relentless power cuts and unreliable water supply, the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) has chosen to unveil a mobile app.

Yes, a mobile app.

This announcement comes on the heels of NAWEC’s own admission that it cannot meet the country’s electricity demand, forcing it to implement power rationing. In simple terms, the institution responsible for keeping the lights on has acknowledged failure, yet appears more focused on optics than solutions.

One is left to wonder: is NAWEC truly serious about its mandate?

Across the country, including communities like Gunjur, residents endure daily disruptions. Businesses are losing money, students are struggling to study, and families are left in darkness at the most critical hours, expensive and critical equipments continue to be damaged by NAWEC’s erractic electricity supply on and off. Water shortages continue to compound the hardship. These are not minor inconveniences - they are failures in essential service delivery.

And in the midst of all this, NAWEC’s priority is an app?

Digital tools have their place. But no application, no matter how sophisticated can substitute for electricity that is not generated or water that does not flow. An app cannot power a home, preserve goods in a freezer, or keep a small business running.

What Gambians expect from NAWEC is not innovation for its own sake, but competence in its core responsibilities. The basics must come first: consistent electricity, reliable water supply, and transparent communication grounded in real solutions, not public relations exercises.

Launching a mobile app in the middle of a power crisis sends the wrong message. It suggests a troubling disconnect between leadership decisions and the daily realities faced by ordinary citizens.

If NAWEC is serious about serving the people, it must refocus urgently on fixing the fundamentals. Until then, such initiatives will only deepen public frustration and continue to erode confidence in the institution.

Until the lights stay on and the taps run in Gunjur and up and down the country, no digital rollout will convince residents that NAWEC has its priorities right.