Africa-Press – Gambia. Haji Suwaneh, National Youth President of the United Democratic Party (UDP), has voiced strong concerns regarding the government’s inability to fulfill its commitment to create 150,000 jobs. Nearly four years into President Adama Barrow’s administration, Suwaneh highlights a significant shortfall in job creation efforts, warning of the potential consequences for the nation’s youth.
Suwaneh stressed the importance of repositioning agriculture from a secondary option to a strategic cornerstone for economic transformation. He urged the government to prioritize the sector with the necessary urgency and ambition, cautioning that neglect could result in lost opportunities for a generation of Gambians.
“Unarguably, thousands of our youth will enter the working age in the coming few years, whilst previous promises made by Adama Barrow to create one hundred and fifty thousand jobs have not materialized for almost 4 years. This is why UDP always believes the mismatch is stark. Agriculture should no longer be treated as a fallback—it is a frontier of economic transformation when prioritized,” Suwaneh stated.
He further emphasized that the challenge is not whether agriculture can generate employment but whether the government is willing to support it robustly—without over-reliance on donors or private investors.
Suwaneh also criticized the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) for what he described as counterproductive political actions, including opposing anti-corruption protests and promoting partisan interests over national unity.
“Failure to act, the risks of squandering opportunities, and jeopardizing an entire generation are very high. However, one may ask why the so-called youths of the NPP are not joining the rest of the Gambians to fight corruption rather than countering anti-corruption protesters. Whenever people protest against bad governance and corruption, the NPP will also initiate protests in solidarity with corruption. Isn’t it a shame that NPP supporters and members cannot even differentiate between national interest and individual interest? What law are they defending when Barrow’s immoral leadership rendered our laws irrelevant and meaningless?” he added.
He stated that the young members of his party, the UDP, believe the time to take action is now. He emphasized that agriculture must be elevated from its historically neglected status to become a cornerstone of sustainable development and inclusive job creation in The Gambia.
“As a country, we are naturally blessed with the river Gambia and fertile agricultural land. Agriculture should be more than farming. It includes logistics, processing, technology, and services across the value chain. Rising urban food demand can tackle unemployment. I have the firm belief that if we are to reposition agriculture as a transformative engine for youth employment, we must invest in agri-food value chains: Shift perspectives from productivity pipelines to employment ecosystems that can drive more job-focused investment,” he said.
He emphasized that in order to scale youth-focused initiatives, the state must empower young people with digital, mechanized, climate-smart, and service-oriented skills to foster innovation in the sector.
The UDP Youth President also stressed the importance of strengthening rural infrastructure equitably, without using development as a tool for political favoritism.
“Improve roads and build storage facilities to reduce costs and improve market accessibility to enable job growth. If you look at the roads connecting Sabu sireng, Baniko, Touba to Sare Pirasu are virtually inaccessible. Go to the road from Helakinda to Chinchan Janabo in Jimara, the Niaminas CRR, and the Fuladu areas. Their road conditions are treble, particularly in the rainy season. These people have a nightmare of going to their farms and talk less of access to hospitals and schools.” he stated.
He continued, “But, the question is, can the Gambians stop shycophamt partisan support like the NPP and Act as One? The serious challenge of Gambians is that we allow incompetent and corrupt power to throw us into ethnic and tribal divisions which now dominate our national politics,” he said.
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