DataPro Secures Regulatory Approval to Expand Credit Rating Services into The Gambia

Nigerian credit rating agency DataPro Limited has secured approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of The Gambia to provide credit rating services in the country, marking a significant expansion of its regional operations.

The approval will enable DataPro to introduce independent credit assessment services to The Gambian financial market, supporting efforts to improve access to reliable credit information and strengthen the country’s financial infrastructure.

Credit ratings provide an independent assessment of an organisation’s ability to meet its financial obligations. They help banks, investors and other financial market participants evaluate creditworthiness, assess lending exposures and make more informed financing decisions.

In The Gambia, the services are expected to support licensed commercial banks in evaluating credit exposures, as well as businesses, including locally owned telecommunications companies, seeking to demonstrate their financial standing to prospective lenders and investors.

The development comes as The Gambia continues to develop its capital market and strengthen the availability of information supporting investment and lending decisions. Independent credit assessments can complement existing financial information and internal risk management processes, although they do not guarantee access to finance or eliminate credit risk.

As part of its regional expansion, DataPro also plans to publish its Gambia Banking Risk Outlook 2027 in the first quarter of 2027. The report will examine key developments and vulnerabilities within the country’s banking sector, focusing on asset quality, capital adequacy, liquidity and profitability.

For compliance and risk management professionals, the development highlights the importance of independent credit assessments in supporting credit risk management, lending decisions and financial sector transparency. It also reinforces the distinction between credit risk assessment and regulatory compliance: credit ratings inform financial risk decisions but do not replace institutions’ own due diligence, AML controls or regulatory obligations.

DataPro’s entry into The Gambia represents a further development in regional financial market infrastructure and the availability of independent credit information.