Traditional Institutions and Local Governance: An Empirical Study of the Brikama Area Council of the Gambia

The study assessed how effective traditional institutions have been in local governance in The Gambia.This was with particular reference to the Brikama Area Council.Both primary and secondary data were used for this study.The primary data were collected using questionnaire and interview guide.For this study, local government council members, executive members of the Ward Development Committees (WDCs), the Seyfolu (district heads), and Alkalolu (village heads) were the target respondents.Questionnaire was administered on the local government council members and selected executive members of the WDCs while interviews were conducted with Seyfolu and selected Alkalolu.The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods.The findings of study revealed that traditional institutions have adequate knowledge about their roles and responsibilities as assigned by the 2002 Local Government Act.Findings also showed that traditional institutions have to an extent been involved in local government administration.Based on the cumulative responses from the local government council members, WDC executive members, Seyfolu, and Alkalolu it could be confirmed that the effectiveness of traditional institutions in local government administration has been limited by a number of challenges.These include the absence of lucid legislative arrangement for their inclusion in the local government administration, absence of legal provisions for inclusion of the institutions in local government and their relationship, their limited capacity to plan and monitor projects, absence of mutual accountability between the institutions and local government, their exclusion from monitoring projects and programmes undertaken by local government, alienation of the institutions from active participation, among others.