Papa Yusupha Njie is the Founder and CEO of the UNIQUE Group of Companies mainly Unique Solutions (Gambia, Senegal, USA, Canada), Unique Energy, Unique Industries, Unique Global, and The Unique Foundation. He is a 45-year-old Electronic Engineering and Management graduate of Middlesex University, UK. He is a trained electronic and computer engineer. He has passionately driven the strategic agenda of the Unique Group and its subsidiaries over the past twenty years, taking Unique Solutions from its humble beginnings as an Internet cybercafé to its status as one of the leading ICT Services and Solutions providers in the Gambia and the sub-region; From buying small Internet bandwidth capacity for its cybercafe of 10 computers over 22 years ago to making a multimillion-dollar investment in being a shareholder in the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) Submarine Fibre Optic Cable consortium, which connects over 24 African countries, 400 million people and providing high-speed Internet capacity across the company’s own countrywide network.
Under Mr. Njie’s guidance and leadership, The Unique Group has become of the Gambia’s most diversified business corporations with an outstanding reputation for exceptional and innovative service delivery over the past twenty years.
The highlight of CEO Njie’s achievements culminated in the launching of Unique Solutions’ groundbreaking Broadband Internet and Data services network in March 2008, making Unique Solutions the first private Internet and VPN service provider have the furthest rural connectivity coverage, meeting the Gambia’s universal service objectives in ensuring people in the hinterland have access to cheap, and life-changing technology in their daily lives. The company has deployed its 4G Network infrastructure across the country and is in the test phases of its newest Triple Play network in the hope of offering its customers access to higher quality internet data, voice, and video.
Unique Solutions regional operations are in Liberia with the Central Bank of Liberia and all the commercial banks through a project from the West African Monetary Institute
(WAMI) financed by the African Development Bank (ADB). The Real Transfer Gross Settlement Systems infrastructure built by Unique Solutions, allows banks to achieve same-day cheque clearance in real-time. A similar project was executed for the Central Bank of the Gambia a few years ago.
In his leadership capacity as CEO, Mr. Njie was instrumental in spearheading a consortium between Unique Solutions, the Central Bank of the Gambia, Trust Bank Limited, and the Commercial Banks through Gambia Bankers Association and Interswitch Limited giving birth to the national payment switch- GAMSWITCH, a successful public-private partnership company thus establishing a National Electronic Payment Platform for the Gambia ushering in a new era of electronic payment processing systems using credit and debit cards, real-time bill payments, mobile payments, and other value-added services.
Under the Unique Group subsidiaries, Unique Solutions and Unique Energy have recently been awarded a co-funding grant from the ECOWAS Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) funded by the USAID for the Gambia’s first Solar Green Mini-Grid project. An investment of over $800,000 dollars was made by the Unique Group of Companies. The first phase of the project has been completed and provides clean energy to a population of over 6500 people with over 200 households and businesses.
Mr. Njie served as the 1st Vice-Chairman of the Sub-Regional ICT employers’ organization in West Africa and the 1st President of the Information Technology Association of the Gambia championing the acquisition, facilitation, and implementation of Information Communication Technologies in developing countries specifically to benefit young people and communities at large. He is the Honorary Consul of Cote d’Ivoire to the Gambia. He is the current Board Chairman of Access Bank Gambia, Board Member GAMSWITCH, and Gambia Submarine Cable Co. Ltd. GSC. He is the former 1st Vice President of the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He was Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Training Authority of the Gambia. Former Board Member of the American Chamber of Commerce, Gambia Chapter.
Mr. Njie was awarded the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Young Entrepreneur of the year in 2006 and nominated for the same award in 2008 and nominated for the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Businessman of the year in 2008. Unique Solutions were awarded the GCCI SME of the Year 2009. Mr. Njie returned from Washington DC in May 2010 at the invitation of President Obama where he attended the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship, meeting President Obama in person and many other world leaders. His entrepreneurial spirit was acknowledged by the US Secretary of State, Hilary Rodham Clinton in her speech at the summit. He also attended the First ever US-AFRICA business summit in August 2014 invited by President Obama once again.
Under the dynamic leadership of Mr. Papa Yusupha Njie, Unique Solutions were named as one of the winners at the Africa Awards for Entrepreneurship in 2011 out of 3300 companies and 48 countries winning a prize of $50,000.00.
On April 28th, 2012, Unique Solutions CEO, Papa Yusupha Njie was awarded a Member of the National Order of the Republic of The Gambia (MRG), by His Excellency the President of the Republic of the Gambia. The MRG was awarded in recognition of his meritorious and outstanding services to the country.
Mr. Njie is happily married to a loving wife and wonderful children. His hobbies include traveling, watching movies, and playing football.
