Gambiaj.com – (CRR, The Gambia) – President Adama Barrow has pledged an additional D50 million to support Gambian women, particularly farmers and entrepreneurs, as his government seeks to expand women’s participation in the country’s socio-economic development.
Barrow made the pledge during his ongoing Meet the People Tour in the Central River Region North, telling residents in Kaur that the new allocation would bring the total amount committed by his government to women to D100 million.
The announcement came alongside a major electricity commitment, with the President disclosing that contracts have been awarded for the second and final phase of extending electricity to communities in CRR North that remain without access to the national grid.
At a joint meeting for Lower Saloum, Upper Saloum, and Nianija districts in Kaur, community leaders welcomed what they described as significant improvements in roads, electricity, health, and education under the Barrow administration.
They nevertheless called for faster expansion of electricity and clean water supplies and urged the government to assist farmers affected by poor rainfall during the current agricultural season.
The communities also expressed political support for Barrow and the NPP-led Grand Alliance ahead of the December 5 presidential election.
National Assembly Member for Lower Saloum, Sainey Jawara, praised the development projects but called for the remaining communities in CRR North to be connected to electricity as quickly as possible.
Kaur’s economic revival
Minister of Lands, Regional Government, and Religious Affairs Hamat N.K. Bah used the meeting to highlight Kaur’s historical importance as a commercial center, saying the town’s economy had declined after decades of neglect.
He said the government intends to revive Kaur through the construction of a new port and improved road infrastructure.
Bah also issued a warning to traditional authorities over the allocation of state land, particularly to foreign individuals for agricultural purposes without authorization from his ministry.
He said the government had approved a new land policy aimed at protecting state land from encroachment and warned that those who violate the policy would face consequences.
Responding to the concerns raised in Kaur, Barrow thanked residents of Nianija, Lower Saloum, and Upper Saloum for the turnout, describing it as a demonstration of confidence in his leadership.
Electricity promise reaches Sami and Niani
From Kaur, the presidential entourage travelled to Kalen Jawbeh in the Sami constituency, where thousands of residents gathered for another meeting.
Community representatives in Sami and Niani pointed to electricity expansion as one of the major changes in their communities, saying 63 villages in the area are now connected to the national grid.
They also raised concerns over robbery, cattle rustling, and insecurity, calling for the deployment of a Police Intervention Unit (PIU) to the area.
Kuntaur Area Council Chairman Saihou Jawara, meanwhile, presented eight motorbikes to community health workers, intended to improve their mobility and strengthen rural healthcare delivery.
Barrow said 204 villages had been connected to the national grid over the past nine years, compared with 40 villages over the combined 52-year periods of the Jawara and Jammeh administrations. He said the remaining eight villages would soon be connected and urged residents to remain patient.
The government’s broader electricity expansion program has included contracts covering hundreds of communities, with a recent government announcement putting the value of a project to extend electricity to 241 communities in the Upper River and Central River regions at about US$14.2 million.
The President also assured residents that the government would respond to the security concerns by deploying a PIU unit to tackle robbery and cattle rustling, particularly in border communities.
With the December election approaching, Barrow urged his supporters not to become complacent, saying the election would be a choice between continued development and a return to what he described as underdevelopment.
He called for hard work rather than overconfidence and appealed for strong support for the NPP-led Grand Alliance, while thanking residents of Sami and Niani for remaining at the meeting despite the late hour.
The electricity pledge comes as Barrow’s government faces continued scrutiny over power supply. In September, the President acknowledged shortcomings in electricity planning, generation, and maintenance while promising significant improvement by the end of October.
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