Border ContractsPublic register

The Gambia · biometric border control · passenger screening · e-visa

Civil aviation and immigration security services at Banjul International Airport

Under review Status as of 19 October 2026 · Funding type: Passenger or user fee

Securiport runs aviation and immigration security at Banjul International Airport, paid from a USD 20 fee on international passengers collected since September 2020 2,5. A National Audit Office audit, reported in February 2023, found contract clauses favouring the company, a seven-month gap before the aviation authority got its 25% share, and over D164 million in arrears payments it said should be recovered 1,23. President Adama Barrow defended the deal and said the immigration department keeps the data 4. Reports differ on the revenue split 2,56. In September 2024 the interior minister said the fee contract was out to bid 7.

Key terms

Buyer
Government of The Gambia (Office of the President approved the contract, Gambia Civil Aviation Authority holds the fee account with Securiport)
Vendor
Securiport
Vendor based in
United States
Signed
2019, as reported by Gambiana citing Malagen. Not published in an official source opened.
Duration
Not published. The National Audit Office said a five-year extension exposed the government to high termination costs.
Value
Not published
Funding
passenger fee
Fee model
USD 20 per arriving and departing international passenger at Banjul International Airport, collected from September 2020. The National Audit Office, as reported by The Point, cited a contract clause sending 75% (USD 15) to Securiport and 25% (USD 5) to the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority through a joint bank account. Gambiana, citing Malagen, reported USD 10 to Securiport and USD 5 each to the government and the aviation authority. Dubawa reported Malagen said the fee had risen to USD 25. The sources conflict on the split.
Procurement route
Not published. The National Audit Office said the Office of the President handled the contract without key stakeholders.
System ownership
Not published
Data terms
President Adama Barrow said in March 2023 that Securiport collects the data and the Gambia Immigration Department keeps all of it, as reported by The Point.

Audits, courts, parliament and regulators

  1. February 2023: The Point reported a National Audit Office audit of the contract award, covering transactions from 1 September 2019 to 31 May 2021. It found clauses favouring Securiport, found no detailed technical and financial proposal from the company, and said sole handling by the Office of the President raised suspicion of impropriety and corruption 1,6.
  2. February 2023: The audit found the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority received no share of fee collections from September 2020 to April 2021, with its first payment of D16,452,987.3 on 20 May 2021. It called this a deliberate breach and recommended that Securiport compensate the government 2.
  3. February 2023: The audit recommended recovery of over D164 million paid to Securiport as arrears for 1 October 2019 to 31 August 2020, and a full review of the project through the Directorate of PPP 3,6.
  4. 17 September 2022: Gambiana, citing Malagen, reported that the Ministry of Finance paid D218 million in instalments from February 2021 to June 2022 against USD 4.5 million in arrears billed by Securiport, with D55 million due in December 2022. These figures add up to D273 million, not the D247 million total given in the same report 5.
  5. 21 March 2023: President Adama Barrow defended the contract as a government decision and said talks were under way to add the fee to air tickets, as reported by The Point 4.
  6. September 2024: Interior Minister Abdoulie Sanyang told the National Assembly that the airport security fee was the subject of an ongoing bid, with ten companies buying bid documents, and that the government wanted the winner to design, build and hand over the system, as reported by AllAfrica. The outcome of that bid was not confirmed in sources opened 7.

Sources

  1. The Point: Securiport demands payment of D164M from gov't, NAO reveals (6 February 2023)
  2. The Point: Gov't loses 7-month share to Securiport (9 February 2023)
  3. The Point: NAO demands review of Securiport project by gov't (10 February 2023)
  4. The Point: Barrow justifies Securiport contract (21 March 2023)
  5. Gambiana: Gambia losing millions due to airport security levy contract with US firm, investigation finds (17 September 2022)
  6. Dubawa: Assessing Securiport contract breach and its subsequent chaos (date not shown)
  7. AllAfrica: Gambia: Interior Minister Gives Update On State of Nation ID Card Production (26 September 2024)

Fields marked "Not published" or "Not confirmed" could not be established from an official or reliable source. If you hold a document that fills a gap or corrects an entry, write to [email protected]. Last checked 19 October 2026.

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