Africa-Press – Gambia. The Gambia is repositioning its development strategy from aid dependence to trade and investment partnerships, the country’s Information Minister has revealed.
The Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Dr. Ismaila Ceesay recently made the revelation while addressing members of the British House of Commons.
Dr. Ceesay highlighted The Gambia’s development progress and investment prospects under President Adama Barrow, citing improvements in infrastructure, energy access, education and economic diversification.
He says access to electricity has increased from 47 percent to 75 percent since President Barrow took office, with the government aiming to achieve universal access by next year.
“The infrastructure is in place. We are building roads, schools and modern universities, and we are developing the human resource base,” the minister remarked.
Calling on British and international investors to explore opportunities in The Gambia, Dr. Ceesay pointed to growth in the real estate sector, as well as the country’s established tourism and hospitality industry. He noted that British tourists remained the largest group of visitors to the country.
He discloses that the government is diversifying tourism products to meet international standards, investing in new hotels, improving beach conditions and strengthening agribusiness, including the production of crops such as carrots and sesame to meet demand for organic food in markets such as the United Kingdom.
Dr. Ceesay also underscored opportunities in the energy and fisheries sectors, noting that The Gambia was prioritizing renewable energy as part of its green transition, with increased focus on solar and wind power.
“We are moving away from generators and heavy fuel towards renewable energy. This is an area open for investment,” he said.
He added that the fisheries and seafood processing sector held strong potential due to the country’s Atlantic coastline.
“The Gambia is ready for business. We want to move away from dependence on aid and focus on partnerships for trade and investment,” Dr. Ceesay highlighted.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to translating its development agenda into tangible outcomes for the benefit of the country and its partners.
