NPP Government Lacks Clear Employment Strategy, Says UNITE Deputy Leader Yaya Sanyang

By Seedy Jobe

Yaya Menteng Sanyang, National Assembly Member for Latrikunda Sabiji and UNITE party’s deputy leader for Finance and Administration, has criticized the Barrow administration’s approach to job creation, accusing the government of lacking a coherent and realistic employment strategy.

Speaking on QTV’s Decision program, Mr. Sanyang questioned the government’s employment projections, citing what he described as conflicting figures presented by senior officials.

He recalled that President Adama Barrow had announced plans to create more than 150,000 jobs but said subsequent statements by government ministers offered different figures.

According to Mr. Sanyang, one minister cited 170,000 jobs, while another mentioned 23,000, raising questions about the government’s employment targets and planning.

He argued that it would be unrealistic for the government to directly employ 150,000 people, noting that the country’s entire civil service workforce had not reached 70,000 since independence.

Mr. Sanyang maintained that the government’s primary responsibility should be to create an enabling environment for private-sector investment rather than attempting to serve as the country’s largest employer.

He cited telecommunications companies such as Qcell and Africell as examples of businesses capable of expanding employment opportunities if provided with favorable conditions for investment and growth.

Outlining UNITE’s alternative approach, Mr. Sanyang said the party’s manifesto contains specific, time-bound commitments aimed at stimulating private-sector growth and generating substantial employment within its first five years in office.

He said the party would prioritize policies designed to attract investment, support businesses, and create conditions for sustainable job creation.

Mr. Sanyang also questioned the government’s workforce planning, recounting the experience of a former student who, he said, had received government support to study in China but returned to The Gambia without employment.

He argued that the case illustrated a broader failure to align educational opportunities and overseas training programs with the country’s labor market needs.

Mr. Sanyang questioned the rationale for sponsoring students to acquire specialized skills abroad without establishing clear pathways for their employment upon graduation.

He concluded that the NPP administration had failed to deliver meaningful results on employment, giving the government what he described as a score of zero for its performance in the sector.