[WACREN2026 LOC] GAMREN Readiness - WACREN 2026

Effah Amponsah effah.amponsah at wacren.net
Mon Feb 2 15:39:07 UTC 2026


Dear All,

Here are the meeting minutes (AI-drafted) - 
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1whLRgClcAqVqgVufH7fSEa_j8wscKMHDnuKNqDfnhVM/edit?usp=sharing

Thank you

On 1/31/2026 2:06 PM, Omo Oaiya wrote:
> Thanks, Samba.
>
> Effah,
>
> Please ensure that all mails going forward copies the organising 
> committee as a standing rule.
>
> I have also just subscribed Edward Mendy to this mailing list so that 
> we are fully aligned and can jointly intervene or follow up as 
> required, including on logistics being covered by WACREN.
>
>> On 30 Jan 2026, at 19:26, Samba Sowe <batchsowe86 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Greetings,
>>
>> A letter was sent to them confirming the venue.
>>
>> Samba Sowe
>> Director of Science Technology and Innovation
>> Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology
>> Opposite Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry
>> Senegambia Highway
>> Bijilo
>> The Gambia
>> West Africa
>> Mob: (220) 204 0321 / (220) 316 0194 / (220) 648 5038
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, 30 Jan 2026 at 18:59, Effah Amponsah 
>> <effah.amponsah at wacren.net> wrote:
>>
>>     Dear Samba , Edward
>>
>>
>>     Please confirm if MOHERST/GAMREN has officially booked BICC as
>>     the venue for the Conference. Of late, my mails to Ramatoulie
>>     (BICC) concerning some logistics WACREN is paying for, have not
>>     received any responses.
>>
>>
>>     Thank you
>>
>>
>>     On 1/27/2026 3:39 PM, abigail.essel at wacren.net wrote:
>>>     Well acknowledged Edward,
>>>
>>>     Meeting invite shared, and we would be on standby for the updates.
>>>
>>>     Topic: WACREN 2026 - GAMBIA
>>>     Time: Feb 2, 2026 01:00 PM Universal Time UTC
>>>             Every week on Mon,
>>>     Join Zoom Meeting
>>>     https://wacren.zoom.us/j/68274929518?pwd=RxJpoA3waERjSV21uKKqy1Ra5JW85T.1
>>>
>>>
>>>     Meeting ID: 682 7492 9518
>>>     Passcode: 145419
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>     Best Regards,
>>>
>>>     Abigail Essel
>>>     Project Manager/Chef de Projet | WACREN <http://www.wacren.net/>
>>>     M:  +233 501100457
>>>     ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>     *From:* Edward A Mendy <edwardamendy at yahoo.com>
>>>     <mailto:edwardamendy at yahoo.com>
>>>     *Sent:* Tuesday, January 27, 2026 3:23 PM
>>>     *To:* Omo Oaiya <omo.oaiya at wacren.net>
>>>     <mailto:omo.oaiya at wacren.net>; Hydara Mbemba
>>>     <hmbemba at utg.edu.gm> <mailto:hmbemba at utg.edu.gm>;
>>>     abigail.essel at wacren.net <abigail.essel at wacren.net>
>>>     <mailto:abigail.essel at wacren.net>
>>>     *Cc:* Samba Sowe <batchsowe86 at gmail.com>
>>>     <mailto:batchsowe86 at gmail.com>; Serign Omar Lowe Nicolas
>>>     <serign.omar.lowe at gmail.com>
>>>     <mailto:serign.omar.lowe at gmail.com>; Abigail Essel
>>>     <pmo at wacren.net> <mailto:pmo at wacren.net>; Effah Amponsah
>>>     <effah.amponsah at wacren.net> <mailto:effah.amponsah at wacren.net>;
>>>     WACREN CEO <ceo at wacren.net> <mailto:ceo at wacren.net>; 'netops'
>>>     <netops at wacren.net> <mailto:netops at wacren.net>; sysops
>>>     <sysops at wacren.net> <mailto:sysops at wacren.net>
>>>     *Subject:* Re: GAMREN Readiness - WACREN 2026
>>>     Dear Abigail
>>>
>>>     Thank you for you swift respond in creating the activity tracker.
>>>
>>>     I am presently in Brussels, but I will confirm submission the
>>>     letters on Monday in the meeting.
>>>
>>>     Edward A. Mendy
>>>     Principal Science Technology and Innovation Officer
>>>     Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology
>>>     The Gambia
>>>     Mob: (+220) 9841890 / (+220) 3999868 / (+220) 2277978
>>>
>>>
>>>     On Tuesday, January 27, 2026 at 03:11:20 PM GMT,
>>>     abigail.essel at wacren.net <abigail.essel at wacren.net>
>>>     <mailto:abigail.essel at wacren.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>     Dear Edward & GAMREN team,
>>>
>>>     Following  from the conversations and actions described below, I
>>>     have created the below activity tracker so we can use to monitor
>>>     progress and ensure readiness before the conference.
>>>
>>>     Can you please review the pending actions and provide some
>>>     updates in the comments section.
>>>     GAMREN Activity Tracker- WACREN 2026.xlsx - Google Sheets
>>>     <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1nDT--ZVLLiTyQvRrcYuJ3ixbXmERpxX5/edit?gid=923829543#gid=923829543>
>>>
>>>     Also,_please confirm that the letters referenced in your email
>>>     below have formally being submitted._
>>>
>>>     On standby for your confirmation for a meeting this Monday,
>>>     sometime between 12:00 and 14:00 GMT. Propose a suitable time
>>>     next week if not convenient.
>>>
>>>     Cc'ing my technical team to support the connectivity.
>>>
>>>     Best Regards,
>>>
>>>     Abigail Essel
>>>     Project Manager/Chef de Projet | WACREN <http://www.wacren.net/>
>>>     M:  +233 501100457
>>>
>>>
>>>     ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>     *From:* Omo Oaiya <omo.oaiya at wacren.net>
>>>     <mailto:omo.oaiya at wacren.net>
>>>     *Sent:* Tuesday, January 27, 2026 12:08 PM
>>>     *To:* Hydara Mbemba <hmbemba at utg.edu.gm> <mailto:hmbemba at utg.edu.gm>
>>>     *Cc:* Edward A Mendy <edwardamendy at yahoo.com>
>>>     <mailto:edwardamendy at yahoo.com>; Samba Sowe
>>>     <batchsowe86 at gmail.com> <mailto:batchsowe86 at gmail.com>; Serign
>>>     Omar Lowe Nicolas <serign.omar.lowe at gmail.com>
>>>     <mailto:serign.omar.lowe at gmail.com>; Abigail Essel
>>>     <pmo at wacren.net> <mailto:pmo at wacren.net>; Effah Amponsah
>>>     <effah.amponsah at wacren.net> <mailto:effah.amponsah at wacren.net>;
>>>     WACREN CEO <ceo at wacren.net> <mailto:ceo at wacren.net>
>>>     *Subject:* Re: GAMREN Constitution
>>>
>>>     Dear Colleagues,
>>>
>>>     Greetings from Lomé.
>>>
>>>     Thank you all for your efforts in moving this forward.
>>>
>>>     As we approach the conference, we will need to schedule weekly
>>>     status meetings, even if brief. May I propose Mondays, sometime
>>>     between 11:00 and 14:00 GMT?
>>>
>>>     Abigail,
>>>     Please provide a tracker so we can stay on top of the actions
>>>     identified below and review progress during these meetings.
>>>
>>>     Best regards,
>>>
>>>
>>>         On 27 Jan 2026, at 11:49, Hydara Mbemba <hmbemba at utg.edu.gm>
>>>         <mailto:hmbemba at utg.edu.gm> wrote:
>>>
>>>         Dear Edward,
>>>
>>>         Thank you. Well noted. I will reach out to him.
>>>
>>>         Regards
>>>
>>>         Mbemba HYDARA
>>>
>>>         On Tue, 27 Jan 2026, 11:06 Edward A Mendy,
>>>         <edwardamendy at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>             Dear Dr. Hydara
>>>
>>>             I am presently not in the Gambia, so please reach out to
>>>             the team and coordinate the meeting. Please consult with
>>>             James Gomez, Director of research, to facilitate a venue
>>>             at MoHERST for the review.
>>>
>>>             Edward A. Mendy
>>>             Principal Science Technology and Innovation Officer
>>>             Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and
>>>             Technology
>>>             The Gambia
>>>             Mob: (+220) 9841890 / (+220) 3999868 / (+220) 2277978
>>>
>>>
>>>             On Tuesday, January 27, 2026 at 10:28:32 AM GMT, Hydara
>>>             Mbemba <hmbemba at utg.edu.gm> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>             Dear Edward,
>>>
>>>             Good morning,
>>>
>>>             I am proposing we reach out to the technical team for a
>>>             convenient date and time to finalize the draft
>>>             constitutions shared by Omo ahead of the two weeks
>>>             deadline . Thank you.
>>>
>>>
>>>             Regards
>>>             Mbemba HYDARA
>>>
>>>             On Fri, 23 Jan 2026, 12:30 Edward A Mendy,
>>>             <edwardamendy at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>                 Dear All
>>>
>>>                 Please find below the action point of the GAMREN
>>>                 Technical Committee Meeting held yesterday at MoHERST.
>>>
>>>                 *Action Point of the GAMREN’s Technical Committee’s
>>>                 Meeting held on Thursday 22^nd  January 2026*
>>>
>>>                 1.MoHERST to Coordinate and ensure that GAMREN is
>>>                 registered as a legal entity within the next 2 weeks.
>>>
>>>                 2.GAMREN Technical Committee to review and finalize
>>>                 the draft constitution shared by Omo by the end of
>>>                 next week.
>>>
>>>                 3.MoHERST to formally request GAMTEL to Reserve the
>>>                 following domain names for GAMREN within 2 days.
>>>
>>>                 4.Saloum to provide specifications of the aggregated
>>>                 switch for GAMREN as soon as possible
>>>
>>>                 5.WARDIP PC to facilitate the procurement of the
>>>                 aggregated switch and a rack as soon as the
>>>                 specifications are provided.
>>>
>>>                 6.MoHERST to formally request the booking of the
>>>                 BICC for the WACREN Annual Conference within 2 days.
>>>
>>>                 7.GAMTEL to establish the fiber link at UTG by the
>>>                 end of next week
>>>
>>>                 8.MoHERST to formally request GAMTEL for co-location
>>>                 space at the Serekunda exchange   within 2 days.
>>>
>>>                 9.UTG IT Department in consultation with WAREN
>>>                 Communication Officer to develop GAMREN’s website
>>>                 within 1 week.
>>>
>>>                 I am please to inform you that for action points 3,
>>>                 6, and 8 the letters are ready and submitted to
>>>                 MoHERST records office for dispatch.
>>>
>>>                 Edward A. Mendy
>>>                 Principal Science Technology and Innovation Officer
>>>                 Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and
>>>                 Technology
>>>                 The Gambia
>>>                 Mob: (+220) 9841890 / (+220) 3999868 / (+220) 2277978
>>>
>>>
>>>                 On Thursday, January 22, 2026 at 07:04:06 PM GMT,
>>>                 Omo Oaiya <omo.oaiya at wacren.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>                 Thank you to the GM team for a productive visit. I
>>>                 was very encouraged by the interactions.
>>>
>>>                 We look forward to receiving the signed WACREN
>>>                 Conference MOU from MoHERST tomorrow, as they
>>>                 formally write to ICC regarding the venues and to
>>>                 the Presidency concerning the conference and the
>>>                 President’s launch of GAMREN.
>>>
>>>                 See you all online.
>>>
>>>
>>>                     On 22 Jan 2026, at 18:02, Hydara Mbemba
>>>                     <hmbemba at utg.edu.gm> wrote:
>>>
>>>                     Dear Omo
>>>
>>>                     Thank you for the link and the meeting
>>>                     takeaways. These points are well noted. We will
>>>                     do the needful as agreed.
>>>
>>>                     Regards
>>>                     Mbemba HYDARA
>>>
>>>                     On Thu, 22 Jan 2026, 16:52 Omo Oaiya,
>>>                     <omo.oaiya at wacren.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>                         Colleagues,
>>>
>>>                         I know Edward took detailed notes and will
>>>                         share the timelines, but I wanted to share
>>>                         the draft constitution I mentioned in the
>>>                         meeting and some of the key issues that need
>>>                         to be completed by March 1
>>>
>>>                         *Governance* - leading to the establishment
>>>                         of GAMREN as a leagl entity
>>>                         - GAMREN registration  (I have provided a
>>>                         draft constitution at
>>>                         https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LYvwi21rUuFPSD5fUEORWMpeFNWX2AOZv_jj4bCuCrs/edit?usp=sharing )
>>>
>>>                         *Technical* - leading to the activation of
>>>                         the GAMREN connection to WACREN and
>>>                         provision of the service to UTG
>>>                         - Purchase of an aggregation device to link
>>>                         all the UTG campuses. GAMTEL to provide
>>>                         specs.  WACREN to facilitate purchase if needed.
>>>                         - Write to the regstrar (GAMTEL) to reserve
>>>                         the following names  - ren.gm
>>>                         <http://ren.gm/>. eduid.gm
>>>                         <http://eduid.gm/> and eduroam.gm
>>>                         <http://eduroam.gm/>
>>>                         - Write to GAMTEL for colocation at the IX
>>>                         and reserve a 42U rack for GAMREN
>>>                         - Finalise the fibre connections to the UTG
>>>                         campuses
>>>
>>>                         best wishes,
>>>                         Omo
>>>
>>>                         Omo OAIYA
>>>                         Chief Strategy Officer/Directeur de
>>>                         la Stratégie | WACREN <https://www.wacren.net/>
>>>                         m: +234 808 888 1571 , +233 536 269 987
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>                 Omo OAIYA
>>>                 Chief Strategy Officer/Directeur de la Stratégie |
>>>                 WACREN <https://www.wacren.net/>
>>>                 m: +234 808 888 1571 , +233 536 269 987
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>     Omo OAIYA
>>>     Chief Strategy Officer/Directeur de la Stratégie | WACREN
>>>     <https://www.wacren.net/>
>>>     m: +234 808 888 1571 , +233 536 269 987
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>     -- 
>>     Effah Amponsah
>>     Marketing & Communications, WACREN
>>
>
>
> Omo OAIYA
> Chief Strategy Officer/Directeur de la Stratégie | WACREN 
> <https://www.wacren.net>
> m: +234 808 888 1571 , +233 536 269 987
>
>
>
>
-- 
Effah Amponsah
Marketing & Communications, WACREN
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