DataPro Limited has secured approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of The Gambia to provide credit rating services in the West African country, marking a major step in the company’s regional expansion.
The approval will enable the Nigerian credit rating agency to introduce its credit assessment expertise to The Gambia’s financial market, where the development of financing opportunities and financial infrastructure has increased the relevance of reliable credit information.
Credit ratings provide independent assessments of the ability of businesses and financial institutions to meet their financial obligations, helping lenders and investors evaluate creditworthiness and make informed financing decisions.
DataPro said the services could support licensed commercial banks in assessing credit exposures, while providing businesses, including Gambian-owned telecommunications companies, with an opportunity to communicate their credit profiles to prospective lenders and investors.
The company noted that independent credit ratings could complement existing financial information and internal risk assessments, although they do not guarantee access to funding or eliminate credit risks.
It added that the adoption of credit ratings in The Gambia would depend on the financing needs of issuers, investors’ expectations and the extent to which financial institutions integrate independent credit assessments into their decision-making processes.
As part of its entry into the market, DataPro also announced plans to publish its Gambia Banking Risk Outlook 2027 in the first quarter of next year.
The report is expected to examine major risks and developments shaping the country’s banking sector, with particular attention to asset quality, capital adequacy, liquidity and profitability.
It will also assess how prevailing macroeconomic conditions influence borrowers’ repayment capacity and the overall financial position of banks.
According to the company, the banking sector provides an important indication of the wider credit environment, making the availability of reliable risk assessments essential to understanding the resilience of financial institutions.
DataPro’s entry into The Gambia comes amid efforts to deepen the country’s financial market and improve the quality and availability of credit information.
The company said the expansion goes beyond introducing credit rating services, stressing that the long-term value of independent ratings lies in their ability to strengthen lending decisions, support risk evaluation and provide market participants with a clearer understanding of the credit profiles of businesses and financial institutions.
It added that as financing requirements evolve, independent credit assessments could play an increasingly important role in supporting transparency, informed investment decisions and the development of the financial market.
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