The
Indian construction company that built the new National Assembly complex in
Banjul has been awarded the contract for the construction of the University of
The Gambia (UTG) Faraba campus.
Shapoorji
Pallonnji Mideast, the Indian company, has signed an agreement worth $53.46
million with the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology
and Religious Affairs (MoHERSTRA) for the construction of the campus.
The
agreement was signed on Monday at MOHERSTRA conference room along Bertil
Harding Highway, Kotu.
When
completed, the campus is expected to house more than 6,000 students at any
given point in time, and the university would start to offer at the campus
master’s and doctorate programmes.
Speaking
shortly before the signing ceremony, Dr Abubacarr Senghore, minister of Higher
Education, said the signing of the agreement would propel the initiation of
civil works for “an ultra-modern state-of-the-art university campus”.
The
construction of the new campus, the minister said, is in line with “the
government’s ardent desire” to transform the UTG to a world-class university
and a centre of excellence.
The
project is to be financed by funds, mainly loans, mobilised from the Islamic Development
Bank (IDB), the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, the Saudi Fund for
Development, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, and the OPEC
Fund for International Development (OFID).
The
managing director and chief executive officer of Shapoorji Pallonnji Mideast,
Mohan Das Saini, said the project would be completed on time.
The
Point newspaper understood that the construction project might take up to three
years or more to complete.
Minister
of Basic and Secondary Education Fatou Lamin Faye said the signing ceremony is
a culmination of negotiation for the construction project.
Bala
Garba Jahumpa, minister of Works, Construction and Infrastructure, commended
MOHERSTRA for its efforts in the preparation and eventual signing of the project.
“The
biggest thank you goes to His Excellency, the president of the Islamic Republic
of The Gambia, for the various projects and programmes he has been instituting
to address the needs and aspirations of the young Gambian people,” Hon. Jahumpa
alias ‘Action Man’ said.
According
to the original design of the Faraba campus, when completed, it would consist
of various faculties such as: Business Administration; Information Technology
and Communication; Agriculture; Law Arts and Sciences; Architecture and
Engineering; Graduate Studies and Research; Medicine; and School of
Education.
There
would also be a student dormitory, chancery, a standard library, multi-purpose
center, farmland, mosque and chapel, and so on.
More
faculties including that of Journalism and Digital Media are expected to be in
the second phase.
