Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Prominent housing and real estate entrepreneur and public speaker Mustapha Njie, popularly known as Taf, has weighed into the public debate sparked by President Adama Barrow’s recent comparison of Brufut to Dubai, urging the government to complement major infrastructure investments with a strong national cleanliness and environmental sustainability drive.
In a public post circulating widely on social media, Njie observed that the political atmosphere in The Gambia has become increasingly charged as the December 2026 elections draw closer, with virtually every government action or opposition response now scrutinized through a political lens.
While describing this environment as regrettable, he said it nevertheless compels citizens to speak openly about national issues.
Njie was reacting to President Barrow’s remark during a visit to Brufut, where the President said the area felt “just like Dubai,” a statement that has triggered a mix of serious commentary and satire online.
Njie said he believed the President was highlighting the visible transformation brought about by newly constructed OIC roads and street lighting.
He acknowledged that the infrastructure upgrades have had a tangible developmental impact, particularly in urban and peri-urban areas, noting that improved access to roads, electricity, water, and telecommunications naturally stimulates housing development and private investment. According to him, this trend is already evident along the new road corridors.
While welcoming the President’s use of Dubai as a benchmark, Njie said aspirations to emulate successful global models should be encouraged rather than ridiculed.
He added that he frequently references Dubai himself as an example of what African governments could strive to achieve.
However, he cautioned that Dubai’s success goes beyond roads and streetlights, stressing that environmental management and cleanliness are central to its global appeal. Njie therefore called on the government to place urgent emphasis on sanitation, waste management, and landscaping along the new roads and major highways, including the Bertil Harding Highway.
“World-class infrastructure deserves world-class upkeep,” he argued, warning that litter and roadside waste undermine public investment, damage aesthetics, and pose risks to public health.
Njie proposed the launch of a sustained, multi-stakeholder “Clean & Green Initiative” involving central and local government authorities, municipalities, the private sector, civil society organizations, and ordinary citizens.
He said such an initiative should include regular waste collection, recycling facilities, community clean-up exercises and deliberate landscaping efforts.
He concluded by urging Gambians to match infrastructure development with a culture of care and civic pride, arguing that a clean, green, and sustainable environment would ensure that the country’s development gains endure for future generations.
