Barrow concludes Development Tour with road, market projects launched in West Coast
President Adama Barrow on Tuesday concluded his national development tour in the West Coast Region with the laying of the foundation stone for 60 kilometres of new roads, and the construction of a market for the women of Sukuta.
The road projects are expected to improve connectivity, boost trade, and ease transportation for communities across the region.
The road projects include Brikama-Jidda Baba Njie-Toubakuta Road – 6.2km; Brikama Newtown Road-Kitty Junction – 2.4km; Lamin Waa Juwara-Box Ba Road-Jah Oil, Brikama – 1.0km; Lamin CDC-Kubariko-Makumbaya-Galoya-Kubuneh-Kunkujang Jataya-Mandinaring Road – 15km; Hamat Bah Junction-OIC Road – 1.3km; and Jabang-Yuna-Madiana-Tanji Road – 10.2km.
The projects form part of the government’s broader Connect Gambia Infrastructure Initiative, which seeks to expand and improve the country’s road network and strengthen connectivity between communities and economic centres.
Speaking at the ceremony, President Barrow said his administration’s agenda is to connect the entire country through modern road infrastructure.
“No infrastructure, no development,” the President declared, reaffirming his government’s commitment to delivering key projects that will transform livelihoods and drive national growth.
“Development is based on infrastructure. I was just speaking to the Zambian President yesterday. When I told him about the roads that we are doing, he said, ‘The moment you build roads, all other things will come’. So, when the roads come, others follow,” Barrow explained.
The Gambian leader said his government’s promise to the people is to connect the entire The Gambia, adding that they have started laying foundation stones for about 1,600 kilometres of roads across the country. Barrow described this as “unprecedented”, saying it had never happened in the history of the country. He said that before him, “no Gambian president” had tried such a project.
Barrow further said he had tried 4000-kilometres road, but he is becoming hungrier, more aggressive, and very innovative with infrastructural development to make sure that in the next 5 years, “Gambia will change”.
“It will change for the better. It will change and change the life of the Gambian people. The promise is to impact the life of the Gambian people. And in impacting the life of the Gambian people, you have to build infrastructure. And definitely, it is not only roads that we are doing. Simultaneously, we are doing roads, we are doing health facilities, we are doing schools, we are doing electricity infrastructure, water. Simultaneously, we are doing it all at the same time,” he stated.
For about 52 years, he explained, the resources of Gambians had been wasted and now is the time for the people to enjoy. The President said his “government is very, very focused and determined” to change the lives of Gambians.
“We are very determined, and we are sure of what we are doing. That is why whenever I lay this stone, the graders will follow. Very soon, you will see the graders on the ground,” he said.
Barrow thanked the Gambian people for allowing him to bring development to their doorsteps and transform the country.
