The youth gathering will also involve various sports activities including football, volleyball, athletics competitions, and draught. These games have attracted several spectators which increased the number of people in the Island City.
The NAYCONF Daily has been monitoring trade activities within the city since the beginning of the 2022 national youth gathering and discussed with business persons.
Speaking to this medium at the gate of Saint Augustine, Adama Jallow, fruits vendor, said the importance of the NAYCONF to her is beyond measure, adding that the youth gathering is absolutely booming her business beyond anticipation.
“Left for me alone, this event will not stop because my business is booming, and anytime I bring goods, people would buy all in a short period. I have to provide for others to continue selling,” she said.
Mrs. Jallow said since the week-long youth event started, she has sold more products compared to previous days. She is optimistic about business growth before the end of the event due to the good market provided by the NAYCONF.
Mama Darboe, another fruit and groundnut vendor, said the event has immensely boosted her petty business compared to previous days.
“My business is going well because normally if the school closes, I would not sell on the weekend. But now I am selling on weekends because I believe my business will boom due to a large number of people in the area,” she said.
She added: “I expect to sell more before the end of the event. This programme is good and I am happy.”
Muhammed Sissohor, the managing director of Carlton Hotel along the independence drive, described the NAYCONF as a great opportunity for his hotel. He admitted that hotels in Banjul often experience scarce customers, but “NAYCONF provides us with enough customers and is boosting businesses.”
“The hotel has 18 rooms and NAYCONF occupying 10 of the rooms is a plus for us. Normally we would stay a month without giving out 10 rooms but thank God that all the rooms have been occupied because of NAYCONF. I wish this event extended to two or three months,” he added.
Mr. Sissiho said the money earned from the NAYCONF would obviously contribute immensely to the development of the hotel, noting that it will help them do some renovation and purchase other important materials for the hotel.
Jainaba Jallow, the deputy managing director of Princess Diana Hotel, said: “Since the NAYCONF started, we have had a lot of benefits from it because many of their participants are lodged here.”
Ms. Jallow noted that 42 guests have lodged in the hotel occupying 21 rooms for about seven days. She added that the hotel is making lots of money from this national youth gathering.
“I understand that the event is just one week but I wish it is prolonged to two or three months so that we earn more money,” she said.
Ms. Jallow said lodging such a number of guests would enable them earn much money and then use it in the development of the hotel such as renovations and buying valuable materials to ensure standardisation.
