By Makutu Manneh
President Adama Barrow on Saturday called on Gambians to rally behind his government’s development agenda as he began a nationwide effort to construct 204.7 kilometers of feeder roads aimed at improving rural access to markets and essential services.
The initiative, implemented through the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food Security under the Gambia Inclusive and Resilient Agricultural Value Chain Development Project, is designed to connect remote farming communities to major highways. Officials say the project will ease the movement of agricultural goods and expand access to health care, education, and security services.
Mr. Barrow, speaking aboard a ferry crossing between Banjul and Barra, described the construction as part of what he called a broader “social contract” between his administration and the public.
“These are very important roads,” he said, noting that they would link farmlands to main transport routes, allowing farmers to reach markets more easily. “It will open up the country in terms of access to health, education, and security, and make a significant impact on people’s lives.”
The president said rural communities, particularly in inland regions, had long remained underserved and isolated, and that the new infrastructure would help address those disparities.
“This is our country; the World Bank, IMF, and other institutions can help, but the ultimate responsibility is with Gambians,” he said.
The road-building campaign begins with a six-day tour during which Mr. Barrow is expected to lay foundation stones for multiple feeder roads across the North Bank Region. The planned routes will link communities such as Kerr Jatta, Ndofan, Kerr Wali, Fass Njaga Choi, Manneh, Ndongu, Kerr Selen, Kabakoto, and others.
Government officials say the project is part of a broader push to modernize rural infrastructure and strengthen agricultural value chains, a sector seen as central to the country’s economic growth.
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