The Gambia at a crossroads: time for a new development blueprint

By Andrew Sylva

The Gambia today stands at a defining moment in its national history. It is a country blessed with peace-loving people, strategic geographical location, fertile land, a navigable river, an attractive coastline, cultural diversity, youthful population and enormous economic potential. Yet, despite these blessings, the country continues to battle with development challenges that have, over time, shaken the very foundation of national progress.

More than six decades after independence, The Gambia still confronts many of the problems that confronted it at the dawn of self-government: inadequate infrastructure, unemployment, poverty, weak industrialisation, poor electricity supply, low agricultural productivity, youth migration, limited foreign investment, weak rural development, poor-quality education and an economy heavily dependent on imports and external assistance.

The most disturbing question, therefore, is not whether successive governments have made efforts. They certainly have. From Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara through Yahya Jammeh to President Adama Barrow, every administration has initiated programmes, introduced policies and embarked upon development projects. Roads have been constructed, schools established, hospitals expanded, reforms undertaken and institutions created.

But the uncomfortable truth remains: their best efforts have not always produced the very best results for the country.

Why, after decades of political independence and several changes of government, does The Gambia continue to struggle with almost the same fundamental development problems?

Perhaps the answer lies in one uncomfortable reality: successive governments have often attempted to solve new and complex problems with old and familiar approaches. Different challenges have emerged in different historical periods, yet the policy responses have frequently remained predictable, fragmented and short-term.

The Gambia does not merely need more projects. It needs a new development philosophy. It needs a new national blueprint.

The burden of recurring development challenges

One of the greatest tragedies of development in The Gambia is the persistence of recurring problems. Governments change, ministers change, policies change and political slogans change, but many of the underlying structural challenges remain stubbornly intact.

This suggests that the country’s development problem is deeper than the performance of any single administration. It is fundamentally a question of national planning, institutional continuity, policy implementation and long-term vision.

Development cannot be reduced to the construction of a few roads, bridges, hospitals and government buildings. These are important, but development is much broader. Genuine development must transform the quality of human life. It must put food on the table, create jobs, provide electricity, improve education, stimulate production, strengthen institutions and restore hope in the future.

A country cannot claim meaningful development when thousands of its energetic young people see irregular migration as a better alternative to remaining at home.

It cannot celebrate economic growth when the ordinary citizen continues to struggle with high prices, unemployment and declining purchasing power.

It cannot speak of progress when businesses remain crippled by unreliable electricity and inadequate infrastructure.

The time has therefore come to confront the Gambian development question with honesty.

Infrastructure: the foundation that remains incomplete
Infrastructure remains one of the greatest obstacles to accelerated development. While significant improvements have been made in some areas, the country still suffers from inadequate and unevenly distributed infrastructure.

Road networks outside major urban centres require greater attention. Drainage systems remain inadequate in several communities. Access to clean water and sanitation continues to challenge many households. Urban congestion is increasing, while rapid population growth is placing enormous pressure on housing, transportation and public facilities.

Infrastructure should not be concentrated only around Greater Banjul and major commercial centres. National development must extend beyond the capital region.

The rural communities where agriculture is practised, where food is produced and where poverty is often more pronounced must not remain spectators in the development process.

A modern Gambia requires roads that connect farms to markets, electricity that reaches villages, water systems that support communities and irrigation infrastructure that transforms agriculture from seasonal survival to commercial production.

Infrastructure is not merely concrete and asphalt. It is an economic instrument. Good infrastructure reduces the cost of doing business, encourages investment, promotes tourism, connects communities and expands opportunities.

An economy that produces too little and imports too much
One of the most fundamental challenges confronting The Gambia is the structure of its economy.

The country consumes more than it produces.

A large proportion of essential commodities, including food items and manufactured goods, are imported. This exposes the economy to global price fluctuations, foreign exchange pressures and external economic shocks.

The question should no longer be how much The Gambia can import, but how much it can produce.

Economic transformation must become the central pillar of national development.

The Gambia needs an economy driven by agriculture, agro-processing, fisheries, tourism, technology, small and medium enterprises and manufacturing. It must deliberately move from being primarily a consumer economy to becoming a productive economy.

No country can achieve sustainable prosperity while depending permanently on imported goods that it has the capacity to produce.

The development blueprint of the future must therefore identify strategic sectors and invest heavily in them. Agriculture, fisheries, tourism, renewable energy and human capital development should become engines of national transformation.

The electricity question: Development cannot flourish in darkness
Reliable electricity is the heartbeat of a modern economy.

Factories need electricity. Hospitals need electricity. Schools need electricity. Hotels need electricity. Small businesses need electricity. Digital technology needs electricity.

Yet the persistent challenge of unstable power supply continues to affect households and businesses.

A country cannot industrialise in darkness.

A young entrepreneur cannot compete effectively when the cost of generating private electricity consumes a substantial part of business capital.

The electricity challenge must therefore be treated not simply as a public utility problem but as a national development emergency.

The future development blueprint should prioritise a diversified energy policy built around solar energy, wind power, regional energy cooperation and modern grid expansion.

The Gambia has abundant sunshine. It must begin to convert this natural blessing into economic power.

Renewable energy should not be treated as an alternative; it should become a central component of the national energy strategy.

Agriculture: from subsistence to food security and commercial production
Agriculture remains one of the most important sectors of the Gambian economy, yet its full potential has not been realised.

Low productivity, inadequate mechanisation, limited irrigation, poor access to finance, inadequate storage facilities and weak access to markets continue to affect farmers.

The result is paradoxical: a country with fertile land continues to import significant quantities of food.

Agriculture must be transformed from a subsistence occupation into a modern commercial enterprise.

The Gambian farmer requires more than encouragement. Farmers need tractors, irrigation facilities, improved seedlings, fertilisers, agricultural extension services, access to credit and guaranteed markets.

Young people should also be encouraged to see agriculture not as a punishment but as a profitable business.

The future of Gambian agriculture should be driven by technology.

Modern irrigation systems, agricultural research, mechanisation, food processing and storage facilities must become central components of national agricultural policy. Food security should become a national security priority. A hungry nation cannot be a stable nation.

Education without adequate skills
The quality of education is another major concern. Education should not merely produce certificate holders; it should produce problem solvers. A nation that produces thousands of graduates without creating opportunities for productive employment will inevitably create frustration. The Gambian educational system must therefore be redesigned to meet the demands of the twenty-first century.

Greater emphasis must be placed on science, technology, engineering, vocational education, entrepreneurship, agriculture and digital skills.

Technical and vocational education should receive the same national attention accorded conventional university education.

The country needs engineers, technicians, agricultural scientists, software developers, skilled artisans, medical professionals and entrepreneurs.

Education must be linked directly to national development needs.

Universities and institutions of higher learning should become centres of innovation and research capable of solving Gambian problems.

Research should not remain permanently on library shelves. It must be connected to agriculture, health, energy, the environment, governance and industry.

Unemployment and the tragedy of a restless youth population
The greatest resource of The Gambia is its young population.

But youth can become either a demographic dividend or a demographic disaster.

When young people are educated but unemployed, energetic but hopeless and talented but neglected, frustration becomes inevitable.

The high level of youth unemployment contributes directly to poverty, crime, social instability and illegal migration.

The phenomenon popularly known as “the back way” is perhaps one of the clearest indicators of the failure of the domestic economy to retain its young people.

No young person willingly abandons family, country and safety for the dangers of the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea without a compelling reason.

Illegal migration is therefore not merely an immigration problem.

It is a development problem.

It is an unemployment problem.

It is an economic problem.

It is a problem of hopelessness.

The solution must begin at home.

The Gambia must create an economy capable of giving its young people reasons to stay, work, invest and believe in their country.

Tourism without sufficient transformation
The Gambia is internationally recognised as a tourist destination, but its tourism potential remains far greater than what is presently being utilised.

Tourism must move beyond seasonal beach activities.

The country has history, culture, music, cuisine, wildlife, river tourism, eco-tourism and heritage resources capable of attracting visitors throughout the year.

The tourism industry must therefore be diversified.

Eco-tourism should be developed around communities and natural resources. Cultural festivals should be promoted internationally. Historical sites should be preserved and commercialised responsibly. River tourism should receive greater investment.

Tourism must also benefit local communities.

Hotels and resorts should increasingly source food, crafts and services from Gambian producers. This will create a stronger relationship between tourism and the local economy.

A tourism industry that imports most of what it consumes cannot fully transform the national economy.

The democratic bottleneck and weakness of institutional development
The restoration and consolidation of democratic governance remain important achievements, but democracy must produce more than elections.

Democracy must deliver development.

Citizens expect accountable leadership, functional institutions, justice, transparency and responsible management of public resources.

The Gambia must continue to strengthen its democratic institutions and ensure that national development does not depend entirely on the personality of whoever occupies the presidency.

Strong nations are built on strong institutions.

The civil service must be professional. Public institutions must be efficient. Anti-corruption mechanisms must be strengthened. National planning institutions must be protected from political interference.

Development policies should also survive changes of government.

One of Africa’s greatest development problems is policy discontinuity. A new government often abandons the programmes of its predecessor, not necessarily because the programmes are bad, but because they belong to another political administration.

The Gambia must rise above this culture.

National development should not belong to a political party.

It belongs to the nation.

To be continued tomorrow