Badjie Says Many Gambians Abroad Would Return if Jobs Were Available at Home

By Seedy Jobe

Bakary K. Badjie, leader of the United Gambia Front and National Assembly member for Foni Bintang Karanai, said many Gambians living abroad would prefer to return home if the country could provide decent jobs and a more favorable working environment.

Mr. Badjie made the remarks to reporters after returning from a tour of several European countries, part of what he described as a broader effort to hear directly from Gambians at home and abroad about their concerns and aspirations.

Before traveling to Europe, Mr. Badjie said he conducted a listening tour across The Gambia, beginning in Barra and taking him through communities in Basse, Brikama, Tanji and other parts of the country.

He later continued the outreach in Europe, visiting Rome, Barcelona, Stuttgart, Berlin, and Copenhagen, where he met Gambians living and working abroad.

The encounters, he said, reinforced his belief that migration for many Gambians is driven less by a desire to permanently settle overseas than by the search for economic opportunity.

“Most Gambians in the diaspora don’t want to be there if jobs are created here,” Mr. Badjie said.

He said Gambians he met abroad spoke of wanting decent-paying jobs that would allow them to support their families while contributing to the development of their country and the wider African continent.

Mr. Badjie said some of the most striking encounters occurred on farms and at refugee centers, where people told him they had rarely, if ever, been visited by a Gambian politician interested in hearing about their experiences.

The lawmaker said the listening tour was intended to give him a clearer understanding of the difficulties facing Gambians before asking them to entrust him with national leadership.

Mr. Badjie also confirmed that he intends to seek the presidency in the 2026 election.

“Indeed, I’m very interested in becoming president of the Republic of The Gambia, and inshaAllah that will be by 2026, undoubtedly,” he said.

With the presidential election approaching, Mr. Badjie urged Gambians at home and abroad to participate in the political process and make their voices heard.

He said his travels had left him with a consistent message: Gambians want leaders who listen to their concerns and an economy capable of providing opportunities that allow people to build meaningful lives at home.