President Barrow Highlights Achievements in Agriculture, Tourism, and Infrastructure in Independence Speech
By Landing Ceesay
In his speech celebrating The Gambia’s 59th anniversary of independence, President Adama Barrow emphasized the significant advancements made under his administration. He cited a booming agricultural sector, a surge in tourism, and extensive infrastructural development as key achievements.
Addressing a large audience gathered at McCarthy Square in Banjul, President Barrow emphasized the significant improvements across various sectors. He highlighted the substantial advancements in infrastructure, boasting of robust road networks now spanning every region of the country. Additionally, he celebrated the agricultural sector’s resurgence, marked by a bumper harvest this year, and the resurgence of tourism to peak levels. Moreover, he noted unprecedented levels of energy generation in the country’s history.
“We have successfully developed massive infrastructure to the point that there are formidable road links in every region of the country. The agriculture sector is now booming, following the bumper harvest recorded this year. Tourism is peaking again, and energy generation stands at a level never recorded before in the history of The Gambia,” President Barrow told hundreds of people in attendance at McCarthy Square in Banjul.
President Barrow also acknowledged his administration’s dedication to transforming the educational sector, with notable expansions in education and healthcare services garnering positive feedback from citizens.
While acknowledging the ongoing developmental efforts, President Barrow emphasized the collective responsibility of all Gambian citizens and urged active participation in national development initiatives. He stressed the importance of transparency in governance and encouraged public involvement in decision-making processes.
“We are fully aware, nonetheless, that development is a never-ending process. As a result, we will continue to work hard and invite all Gambian citizens and supporters to come on board and be part of the national bandwagon to fly the Gambian flag much higher. This flags the collective responsibilities that lie on every one of us. To spell it out, these are the civic responsibilities of acting passionately and legitimately on our mandates, roles, duties, and assignments as public servants or private citizens, or both,” President Barrow said.
Furthermore, President Barrow highlighted the transparent nature of his government’s national plans, sector policies, and service delivery frameworks, inviting citizens and friends of The Gambia to contribute to the nation’s progress.
In his address, President Barrow urged for sustained dialogue and engagement among citizens to foster a deeper understanding of collective responsibilities toward national development. He proposed making such discussions a focal point in educational and non-educational institutions to enrich public discourse and promote patriotism.
The Gambian leader also commended the success of recent consultative activities, including the National Dialogue initiative, expressing gratitude to participants and organizers. He endorsed the continuation of such initiatives, advocating for an annual National Dialogue event.
“I suggest further that such themes be the thrust of formal and informal discussions, including engagements in educational and non-educational institutions, to feed into the public discourse on our collective responsibility to protect, preserve, and make the most of the nation and its resources. The ultimate goal of all such engagements must, however, rest on the attainment of our development targets and objectives.
“The recent consultative activities with the political leaders and National Dialogue were both received with approval and were successful. The response and participation of the political leaders, civil society organisations, and the public were healthy and constructive. I thank the participants and organizers alike for this accomplishment and urge that we continue the process with the same good spirit and goodwill. I thus endorse the National Dialogue initiative to be an annual event,” President Barrow said.