Introduction
Development
comes with cost implications. However, the locus of control and the
manifestation of the benefactor mechanics should focused on job creation and
economic growth. To build an emerging, modern, self-reliant, prosperous,
sovereign and financially-independent economy, the government of The Gambia
need to create bridges of economic opportunities through the window of
investment, entrepreneurship, innovation, technology and infrastructure,
propelled by a vibrant private-public sector partnership. The mentioned above
are the vehicle forces that provide the vital recipes for sustainable
development and helps in stimulating economic growth, and prosperity both at
the national and within the local level. Their absence in development-finance
will have negative implications in the quest for nation-building. History had shown that Niumi and the North
Bank Region (NBR) in general have had an unfortunate past that continues to stifles
the prospects of its contributions to the Gambia’s socio-economic development.
NBR has become one of the non-performing regions in the Gambian economy. It is
one of the most neglected regions in The Gambia and has been placed under the
web of economic stagnation either by design or default, due to the successive
governments’ poor policies that only focused on ‘Urban Development”, instead of
holistic and diversified rural-urban development, across all regions of the
country. What is economic stagnation?
Economic stagnation refers to a long-term period of near zero-growth rates and
this is what transpired in Niumi and the NBR over the past 53 years. The past
53 years of Gambia’s nationhood had put Niumi and NBR in a disadvantaged
position that locked-out the prospects of unshackling business opportunities
beyond the streams of impossible due to the presence of infrastructure deficit
to support business growth and development. And this is the case of Barra,
Essau and Amdallai! Those who had been introduced and trained as canoe
operators in river transportation within the strip of Barra and Banjul and
commercial transporters (i.e taxi-drivers and apprentices) at the Amdallai –
Karang border of Senegal are made to believe it as the only form of business or
trade one can do to earn a living and beat up poverty. It is a mistaken idea
and no one should hold on to these unsustainable jobs that lacks the pedestal
baseline for creativity, innovation and growth. Politicians and policy-makers
in the successive governments had neglected the NB region and deliberately
killed its tourism prospects, as historical places like Fort Bullen, Juffureh
and James Island were left unattended in a horrible state of dilapidation and
neglect for reasons best known to them. They made the citizens and residents of
the region to believe that they were working for them, while denying them
development opportunities to grow and expand bridges of trade and business
across our borders.
As
an advocate of sustainable development and economic growth, I welcome the
pronouncement made by H.E President Adama Barrow during the first leg of his
constitutionally-mandated annual ‘Meet the People’s Tour’ to construct the
Barra-Banjul Bridge in 2019. Wow! I am elated as it is a laudable initiative
and will largely present a new facelift in our infrastructure deficits as a
country. Sorry to say but we as a country are lagging in the build-up of modern
infrastructure that will necessitate the need to speed up our national
development in the transportation sub-sector. The impact of bridges on the
socio-economic development of a country cannot be over-emphasized. It is a
critical component in a nation’s infrastructure of which The Gambia is no
exception. Bridges are a lifeline to a nation’s development as they provides
that vital links connecting cities and villages, thus deepening the avenues of
inter and intra-trade and commerce within regions and nations. It is a key
driver of economic activity and helps in shaping the economic geography of a
country. And its absence can deny a country or a region the prospects of future
development growth and improvement on the architecture of its infrastructure
regarding urban evolution, business growth, science and technology, innovation,
and expansion. A justifiable cause for a window of economic bridges in our
infrastructure desires is the recently inaugurated #SeneGambiaBridge with the
overarching aim to enhance upward mobility, strengthen regional integration and
improve socio-economic and political ties between the two countries (Senegal
& The Gambia).
Why
the Bridge: Consequences and Benefits
Development
comes with unintended consequences. These consequences are not eventful
disruptions but rather creative destruction where something new and impactful
to society and its people is earmarked to take place and catch up with the rest
of the world. In economic terms it is factored as the measurement strategy for
what is been sacrificed for the public good. Therefore, no single nation has
ever escaped the consequential development challenges in her quest for national
development. However, nations that want to develop must be willing to sacrifice
that opportunity cost through the dynamism of creative destruction. And this is
what the proposed building of the Barra-Banjul Bridge is earmarked to achieve.
It is wrong to insinuate that there would be loss of business and income for
the canoe operators plying the Banjul-Barra strip as river transporters. That
is cheap idea to buy-in and would only be possible if the canoe operators
refuse to seize the greater opportunities this project will present to them in
a wider context as a more vibrant and sustainable job opportunities, economic
growth and development within the strips of Banjul- Barra and beyond. It is no
accident that people will have radically opposing views on whether it is a
priority of the government to build a bridge, under our current circumstances
as a country facing a bastardized and dying economy where all other critical
sectors needing life-support in the form of development-finance or funding to
put them on the trajectory competitiveness and resilience. However, we need to
dislodge where we are stuck on our understanding of development and set on the
way to endless prosperity. Trying to argue and justify on what is right or need
to be done is a matter of choices. Choices requires as a country to prioritize
it scarce resources for sustainable development as the enumerated problems in
the sectors of the economy, health, education, energy and agriculture cannot be
solved at once. True, we are faced with monumental challenges as a country, but
our challenges should not limit us to innovate and drive resources to other
sectors that could spur growth and solved all our economic nightmares as a
country within the twinkling of an eye if the right investment is made.
Remember, a one-time infusion to a project of this nature could make a huge
difference to people’s life and setting a country on a new trajectory of
economic independence and financial stability in terms of revenue generation,
job creation and enhanced trade, commerce and businesses, and with the
possibility of transforming Niumi to become the belt of an entrepreneurial
region and the ‘Food Basket” for The Gambia.
Impact
and Benefits of the Barra-Banjul Bridge
For
the naysayers with the views that it will put people at a disadvantaged
position, I say it is untrue as the trade-off for the construction of the
proposed Banjul-Barra Bridge (3B) is enormous and has huge economic prospects
than the shaky disadvantages enumerated by the forces against innovation. We
must note that development comes with many unintended consequences attached to
it. However, challenges should serve as a motivating factor to make it happen
and see its benefits to people and society. Worthy to mention is that the
absence of good transportation system within the belt of Barra and Banjul has
put NBR at a disadvantaged position in the socio-economic development of The
Gambia and commercial vehicle owners can attest to this fact as they have to spend
days and weeks, just to travel from one end to the other part. The region is
neglected and lacks every modern development infrastructure, hence making the
towns developmentally dissipated and economically unviable.
Here
are my thoughts on the benefits of the proposed Banjul-Barra Bridge.
1.
It will provide that infrastructure facelift to the City of Banjul, Niumi, NBR
and the Gambia in general, considering our current infrastructure deficit.
2.
It will impact lives, enhance business growth and development; thus creating
that vital connection links between Gambia and Senegal and the surrounding
villages and towns within the belt of Niumi.
3.
Health-wise, it will ease up mobility in the transportation of patients and
curtail preventable deaths for lack of transportation or having to wait for
hours to ferry patients from one bank to the other.
3.
It will create employment opportunities to the teeming youthful population and
infrastructure-wise it will lift the image of Banjul, make it viable and Niumi
will be transformed into a mega-city that will connect Banjul and Dakar. This
is contingent on the availability of funds and if it is the most urgent need of
government.
4.
It will make crossing possible and trade more cost-effective, thus providing
the ease of transportation of persons, goods, and availability of vital
services across the North Bank Region-NBR. It will reduce the travel time.
5.
Enormous job prospect with potential skill transfers and acquisitions will be
provided to the populace.
6.
People (workers) will earn wages during the construction of the bridge and it
will create a bastion of financial gains to both the sellers and traders, whose
products and services will be sought by the workers.
7.
There will be an increased cash flow as economic forces within the region and
the city of Banjul, and Dakar, Senegal will be enhanced, hence complimented to
a larger extent.
8.
The town of Barra will be remodeled to become a modern business and finance
hub, and its housing infrastructure will be boosted and tourism products will
be promoted and developed, as it has a huge tourism prospects if this bridge is
successfully constructed.
On
any objections:
I
do not have any objection to the proposed bridge and fully in support of it if
the government deem it necessary as one of its top development priority. True
that other critical sectors of the economy like health, education, energy, and
agriculture needs more development support regarding investments to resuscitate
them from dying state of under-funded and neglect. We are resource constraint
as a country and these sectors need vital resources and development finance
through the dynamics of development-centered investments to revamp the health
of the economy with the practical insights of sustainability. Therefore, if the
proposed bridge goes as planned it will be nesting home to provide the
necessary financial support to fund the mentioned sectors of the Gambian
economy, if generated funds are properly accounted and used wisely.
Conclusion
Let
us not become accustomed to the old way of doing things or thinking, as
restrictive mindsets towards this opportunity only prolongs the streams of
economic stagnation that won’t create any possibilities besides our current
sorry state of affairs. We are a nation beset with poverty of ideas and the
very reason we must muster the courage to acknowledge our deficit in
infrastructure development, innovation and creativity to remain competitive,
vibrant and prosperous. The question we must ask ourselves is: Should we remain
in the prison cells of economic stagnation or should we strive and open windows
of possibilities that would propel an entrepreneurial region beyond the cycle
of government and the citizens?
NB:
I am willing to provide a pro-bono financial and economic advice to government
on revenue generation, employment creation and business development
opportunities for the residents of Barra and other satellite villages within
the belt of NBR and beyond on the bridge project.