Officials said the move is aimed at cutting costs and harnessing the expertise of the nation’s own engineers, whom they described as doing a “tremendous” job. The survey, covering more than 900 kilometres of road, would otherwise have cost the government a staggering sum and taken far longer had it been outsourced to consultants.
The ‘highly qualified NRA engineers’, they added, are working hand‑in‑hand with soil scientists, environmental specialists, social safeguard experts, technical engineers, civil engineers, and road design professionals.
Together, this solid team is embarking on a comprehensive study tour and designing plans that will underpin the government’s ambitious drive for national connectivity. Their combined effort not only ensures top‑quality work but also demonstrates the country’s capacity to deliver world‑class infrastructure through home‑grown talent.
Speaking to journalists at Dalaba, in the Naimina District of CRR South, Minister Sillah, spoke at length about the transformational infrastructural development currently taking place in the country, describing it as ‘unprecedented’ in the nation’s history.
Minister Sillah remarked: “The survey being carried out by the nation’s top engineers is the first of its kind in the history of the country. I am highly optimistic that the team will make everyone proud.”
“When we conducted the initial assessment of the 902km feasibility study, the estimated cost was 600 million dalasis. Rather than paying that amount to external consultants, we felt it necessary to engage our own engineers within the NRA and the ministry, who have for years been working alongside consultants.”
He continued: “In fact, when consultants undertake such work, it is the NRA that validates it and ultimately completes much of the task. Therefore, we decided not to spend such a huge sum on hiring consultants from abroad. Instead, our own team is conducting the study, and we are providing them with an honorarium to facilitate their work,” he emphasised.
The Works Minister further emphasised: “This is a major undertaking that President Adama Barrow is deeply passionate about. Once the CRR South and North Lub are completed, we will launch the tenders, and the president will come to lay the foundation stone, hopefully after Ramadan.”
Sillah also stressed that the road project is fully funded by the government: “The government is firmly committed to advancing the country’s development trajectory through these roadworks. We will engage multiple contractors to ensure the projects are completed on time. This time, we are determined to work only with credible contractors who have the capacity to deliver quality work.”
The Managing Director of the National Road Authority (NRA), Sulayman Sumareh Janneh expressed his delight as his team embarks on what he described as a landmark project. “We are here with the NRA engineers and feasibility study team, who are undertaking a nationwide feasibility study covering 902 kilometres. So far, we have achieved tremendous progress. By tomorrow, we expect to complete 170 kilometres of road, thereby finalising all work in CRR South before moving on to CRR North,” he said.
The NRA boss hailed the initiative as another milestone in the country’s development, adding: “This is the first time in the history of the NRA and the Gambia that a feasibility study of this scale is being carried out in one go. We have brought together the technical team, surveyors, and environmental experts to effectively conduct the study and design for future road construction.”
Janneh further noted: “A consultant might take 24 months just to mobilise such a team, yet we have managed to do so in a matter of weeks. With the support of the ministry, we are building the capacity of our team to take on such national tasks. Together, we are ensuring the country is run as it should be, in line with the president’s vision.”
He emphasised the financial benefits of the project, stating: “We are taking responsibility to prove that we can deliver this work, saving the government a huge amount of money.” He went on to commend his team for their dedication, working tirelessly day and night to ensure the highest standards are met.
Sulayman Faye, a project engineer at the NRA and part of the nationwide survey team, reported that his team has already covered 153km within 10 days.
He said: “We have long yearned for this opportunity to demonstrate to Gambians that, with government support, we can deliver such work ourselves and save the state significant amounts of money. Hiring foreign consultants and paying them millions when our own engineers can do the job is unnecessary. I want to assure everyone that NRA engineers are capable of doing what others are doing, and even better,” he postulated.
