“Our Economy Is Not That Strong”: Barrow Appeals For Gambians’ Patience With Development Projects

President Adama Barrow speaking to Journalists during his tour of ongoing government projects.

By Landing Ceesay 

His Excellency Adama Barrow, President of The Gambia, has called on Gambians to exercise patience with his government’s ongoing development projects, acknowledging that the nation’s economy is not robust.

“Overall, we are doing a lot of things. We are doing it in different areas and different sectors. The Health Sector, the Sports Sector, the Road Infrastructure, Agriculture, and energy are doing a lot at the same time. The advice to the Gambians is to let us maintain a little bit of patience. Our economy is not that strong, and we are very constrained when it comes to resources.

“But this is not about resources alone, this is about innovative financing. That’s what we are trying to do. I will seize the opportunity and thank the team around me. I told you people that I was trying to build a team, and I am still building that team. With a very good team, we can make a big difference in this country within a short span of time,” the President said during a press briefing after touring several project sites.

The President’s site visits included major development projects like the state-of-the-art hospital in Farato, the University of Science, Engineering, and Technology (USET) in Brikama, the Gambia College Dormitory, and the advanced National Food and Drug Quality Laboratory in Brusubi. He also inspected the ongoing renovation of Independence Stadium in Bakau.

Barrow urged citizens to stay patient as the projects progressed and highlighted his administration’s achievements in promoting democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

“Overall, we are doing a lot of things. We are doing it in different areas and different sectors. The Health Sector, the Sports Sector, the Road Infrastructure, Agriculture, and energy—we are doing a lot at the same time. The advice to the Gambians is to let us maintain a little bit of patience. Our economy is not that strong, and we are very constrained when it comes to resources. But this is not about resources alone, this is about innovative financing. That’s what we are trying to do. I will seize the opportunity and thank the team around me. I told you people that I am trying to build a team, and I am still building that team. 

“With a very good team, we can make a big difference in this country within a short span of time. I think we have the support of our partners. If you look at our scorecard, when it comes to media freedom, when it comes to human rights, when it comes to democracy, when it comes to respecting the rule of law, I think we are high up there. We are in the first ten in all of these in Africa. In some of them, we are first, second and third in Africa. So the sky’s the limit, and our target is very high. We have raised the bar very high. The ones in numbers one and two, Gambia is coming, and we are coming with speed, and we are not relenting,” President Barrow said. 

Reflecting on the tour, President Barrow expressed satisfaction with the progress, though he acknowledged some challenges. He also stressed the importance of site visits in holding contractors accountable and ensuring transparency with partners.

“Overall, I am very happy. We still have some challenges, but overall, I think we are very happy. This is part of our routine to go and inspect the project sites. These projects are very important, and they are social projects. As President, I have signed a contract with the Gambian people. That’s why I am elected into office—to make sure that I impacted the lives of Gambian people. That’s what we are trying to do. 

“People in Mankamang Kunda, people in Wuli, people in Dobo want to see what we are doing over here. We are doing a lot around there, but some of them don’t know what we are doing here. So I think it is very important for us to visit the project sites. Also, visiting the project sites will put pressure on the contractors, put pressure on the consultants, and also the partners will be well-informed about what is happening,” the Gambian Leader told the media.

When asked about building a new stadium, Barrow stated that the immediate focus was on completing the renovation of Independence Stadium, which had been banned due to its condition. He expressed regret that previous governments had not maintained the facility but assured the public that his administration was committed to fixing it before considering the construction of a new one.

“It is really unfortunate that our stadium is banned. And this was a grant from China. It is really unfortunate. I think the previous government should have taken care of this. It is not our fault, it is our making. Government is continuity, it is our responsibility to make sure we fix this one today. We will fix it and think about building another one. But before thinking about another one, we have to fix this one first,” President Barrow said. 

During his tour of the project sites, President Barrow voiced concerns about the slow progress of several initiatives, particularly at the University of Science, Engineering, and Technology (USET). He urged contractors and consultants to expedite their work, with the intention of featuring some of these projects in his Independence Day celebrations in February 2025.