H.E. Mr. Baboucarr Ousmaila Joof

Hon. Baboucarr Ousmaila Joof is the current Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment prior to this Portfolio, Honourable Joof Serves as the Minister for Public Services, Administrative Reforms, Policy Coordination and Delivery.  He was born in The Gambia in 1963. Honourable Joof Holds a Masters Degree in Management, Post Graduate Diploma in Management from The University of Auckland in New Zealand. Prior to his postgraduate studies, Hon. Joof obtains his Bachelors of Science from the University of Hull, School of Business in the United Kingdom in 2002, a Teacher Training Certificate from The Gambia College in 1989. 

From 1988 to 1996, Honourable Joof taught in Primary schools across The Gambia while serving The Gambia Teachers Union as grassroots volunteer representing teachers. By 1996 however, the leadership of the Trade union had enough evidence to trust Mr Joof to lead efforts aimed at forming a thrift and Credit society for its members. 

Mr Joof led the Gambia Teachers Union Cooperative Credit Union (GTUCCU) for twenty-six uninterrupted years as CEO during which time, membership grew from 146 in March 1997 to more than 25,000 and more than 20,000 institutional accounts. Total retained savings grew to more than GMD690,000,000.00 (estimated 13 Million USD) while Total Assets of the Union is estimated to be above GMD650,000,000 (estimated 12 million USD).

 Honourable Joof is a graduate of the first Africa development Educators Program in 2014 and International Credit Union Development Educator 2016 following his Training in the United States. He also serves as a Resource Person and Trainer for The Gambia Teachers’ Union, Technical Advisor to the National Association of Cooperative Credit Unions of The Gambia and ACCOSCA. Hon. Joof also serves as an inspirational speaker who addressed several fora at home and abroad.