Claim: On Friday, 7th February, 2025, Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, Minister of Information, Media, and Broadcast Services, asserted during a Giss Giss TV show on The Fatu Network that the price of a bag of onions in Gambian markets ranges between D400 and D500.
“We need to commend the government for two things, we have come up with fiscal and monetary policies upto D900 in the market, a bag of onions was almost 1200 and now it is D 400/500 dalasis”.
Verdict: False
Full Text
Our researchers conducted a market-price survey in multiple locations in the country to assess the price of a bag of onion to verify if the claimed made by Dr. Ismaila Ceesay of a bag of onion costing between D400 to D500 dalasis. The research was tailored across major towns and marketplaces, showing a significant variation in onion prices but consistently exceeding the minister’s stated claim.
Our findings reveal: in Bansang, a bag of onion is sold for D1,200, while in Brusubi, the price is higher at D1,350. In Brikama, prices vary between D1,150, D1,200, D1,250, and D1,300, depending on the seller. In Basse, two shopkeepers were interviewed, with one selling a bag at D1,300 and the other at D1,200. In Farafenni, the prices also vary slightly, with one shopkeeper selling at D1,150 and another at D1,100. In Barra, the price for a bag of onion is between D1,200 and D1,250. Meanwhile, in Janjanbureh, a local variety of onions is sold for D1,000 per bag, while a bag of an imported onion is priced at D1,200. In Soma, the price for an 18kg bag of an onion is D1,200. Additionally, in Brikamaba, a bag of onion costs between D1,250 and D1,300. Three shopkeepers in Gunjur confirmed that they sell a bag of an onion at D1,200. In Serekunda, Latrikunda, and Bakau, onion prices were found to be uniform at D1,200 per bag.
These findings indicate that, across all surveyed locations, the price of onions is far above the minister’s claim of D400–D500 per bag.
Step taken to verify the claim:
To verify the accuracy of Dr. Ceesay’s statement, a price-checking survey was conducted in different parts of the country. We involved shopkeepers and traders in various markets including Bansang, Brusubi, Brikama, Basse, Farafenni, Barra, Janjangbureh, Soma, Brikamaba, Gunjur, Serekunda, Latrikunda, and Bakau were interviewed to gather firsthand data on the prevailing prices of onions. The survey relied on direct interactions with market vendors to ensure the accuracy of the reported prices. Prices were verified from multiple sources in each location to minimize discrepancies. The findings consistently showed that the lowest recorded price for a bag of onions was D1,000 for a local variety in Janjangbureh, while the highest price was D1,350 in Brusubi. This contradicts the minister’s claim that a bag of onions costs between D400 and D500 in The Gambia.
In conclusion, the claim made by Dr. Ismaila Ceesay that a bag of onion costs between D400 and D500 dalasis is false. The market data collected from various regions of The Gambia shows that the actual price of a bag of onions ranges between D1,000 to D1,350 dalasis.
By Ebrima Mbye – Intern