“Our Economic Power Has A Limit” – Minister Sillah Warns That Despite Progress, Challenges Persist

By Seedy Jobe

The Gambia continues to face significant development challenges despite recent gains, as limited economic resources and shortages of skilled workers constrain the pace of progress, according to Ebrima Sillah, the Minister of Transport, Works, and Infrastructure.

Speaking in an interview with Mengbe Kering TV on Wednesday, Mr. Sillah said the country’s development largely depends on three sources: government resources, tax revenue, and external assistance.

Although The Gambia is believed to have oil and other mineral resources, Mr. Sillah said those resources have yet to generate tangible benefits for the population. Without such additional sources of revenue, he said, there are limits to how quickly the government can pursue its development ambitions.

“Our economic power has a limit,” Mr. Sillah said, explaining that financial constraints can slow development even when the government wants to move faster.

He identified limited human resources as another obstacle. While the government has development plans, he said, the country does not always have enough professionals and technical experts to carry them out.

Mr. Sillah also expressed concern about Gambian participation in the labor market, particularly in the construction industry. He said a substantial share of wages from both government- and privately funded construction projects goes to foreign workers rather than Gambian citizens.

He stressed that he was not opposed to foreigners finding employment in The Gambia, but estimated that noncitizens receive 40 to 50 percent, and in some cases more, of the earnings generated by the construction sector.

Asked why relatively few Gambians participate in unskilled construction work, Mr. Sillah said he could not identify a single explanation. But drawing on his travels to 43 African countries, he said The Gambia stood out from many of its neighbors.

In countries including Senegal and Mali, he said, citizens make up the majority of the unskilled construction workforce, while The Gambia relies more heavily on foreign labor.

Mr. Sillah said the disparity could partly reflect a longstanding culture of Gambians traveling abroad in search of better economic opportunities, often with the intention of eventually returning home to invest.

That tradition, he said, has contributed to a perception, particularly among young people, that opportunities for advancement are limited at home.

The minister said there was nothing inherently wrong with traveling abroad when it is done safely and under secure circumstances. But he described irregular migration as a serious and growing challenge for the country.

Reports of migrant boats capsizing or being intercepted continue to emerge regularly, Mr. Sillah said, underscoring the dangers faced by people attempting irregular journeys in search of opportunities abroad.