By Yunus S Saliu
The Gambia has been tipped as a country that can be self-sufficient in poultry products, especially rating the Gambia Songhai Initiative (GIS) center in Chamen a model which can be replicated across the country.
Divulging this to members of the public was the Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment (MoTIE), Hon BaboucarrOusmailaJoof as he toured the North Bank Region and visited the Gambia Songhai Initiative (GIS), with other places such as Misera and Senoba Border Posts, One Step Entrepreneurship Center, GinoeAgric Platform in Gionoe, among other GIEPA-SEZ projects, Weigh and Measures in Farafenni.
He added that replicating it across the country will go well with “our drive to create employment in this country.”
He explained that the graduates of the center are people that can be used as champions in villages, regions, and districts. And “with little capital they should be able to replicate what they learned in GIS because “I can see this country been self-sufficient in poultry product and that will be a huge leap forward in term of reducing our import basket in this country”
Added that, at the same time it will improve the country’s foreign exchange earnings because once the market is filling with this poultry product “nothing will stop us from being able to export some of these things. So in the short-medium term is about satisfying the domestic market.”
On this tour, the Minister said he and his team are visiting the officials and non-official borders across the country up to Nyamanar, Bolibana, and Amdalai to have firsthand information about things and see physically the free movement of people and goods.
The Minister was impressed by the GIS and other places visited while he was joined on the tour to the border posts by ECOWAS Ambassador Her Excellency Mamiatta French, Lamin Seedy Bah – Governor of Lower River Region (LRR) among other delegates which include LaminDampha – permanent secretary, Assan Gaye – Deputy Permanent Secretary, senior officials from his Ministry, technicians, and some senior officials of different institutions from GIEPA, Weight and Measure, GCCPC, PSSE, Standard Bureau, GCCI, GRA, Immigration, Gambia Transport Union, ECOWAS representative, Cashew Alliance, and among others.
Meanwhile, LaminDampha, PS MoTIE, talk at length on the policy of the GIS saying the whole idea is to scale the youth by giving them a livelihood skill that will help them to become a more independent entrepreneur and farmers that will be able to use their knowledge to earn their livelihood.
