Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – In a groundbreaking move to deepen ties between Africa and the Caribbean, the Institute of Travel and Tourism of The Gambia (ITTOG) and the Western Hospitality Institute (WHI) of Montego Bay, Jamaica, will on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen institutional collaboration in tourism education and cultural exchange.
The virtual signing ceremony, scheduled for 8:00 a.m. Jamaica time (1:00 p.m. in The Gambia), will feature remarks from Gambia’s Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science, and Technology, Professor Pierre Gomez, as the keynote speaker. Dr. Cecil Cornwall, WHI’s founding president and chairman, and Sheikh Tejan Nyang, head of ITTOG, will also address the event.
Held under the theme “Bridging Continents through Education, Culture, and Collaboration,” the partnership stems from deliberations at the Africa-Caribbean Forum during the 49th CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting in Montego Bay.
The forum, themed “From Shared Roots to a Shared Future,” was spearheaded by Nigeria-based NTT Global Destinations and supported by Afreximbank, JN Bank, and Motherland Connect.
The five-year MOU will enable ITTOG and WHI to cooperate on curriculum development, training, consultancy, research, and institutional capacity-building. It will also promote faculty exchange and joint delivery of tourism and hospitality programs in both The Gambia and Jamaica.
“The essence of my attendance [at the forum] was to contribute towards how important it was to establish a linkage between tourism stakeholders and the people of Jamaica… through tourism and culture,” Nyang said in a post-event interview.
WHI’s Dr. Cornwall highlighted that the initiative was inspired by a radio interview featuring Mr. Nyang, which prompted immediate outreach. “Western Hospitality Institute is about building relationships,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to establish a connection with our African brothers and sisters through education and training.”
The partnership aims not only to enhance tourism service quality in both nations but also to model an inclusive framework for international collaboration in education.
Dr. Cornwall expressed hope that the alliance will empower students as ambassadors of both cultures and industries.
The MOU is renewable upon expiration, with terms to be mutually agreed by both parties.
