By: Nicholas Bass
The Managing Director of Jah Oil Company, Momodou Hydara, has alleged that Senegal is the “biggest protectionist of business in Africa,” a practice he says threatens the survival of Gambian industries.
Mr. Hydara made the remarks in an exclusive interview with The Voice last Thursday while responding to allegations of cement scarcity in the Gambian market.
According to him, Sococim, a Senegalese cement factory established in 1948, has long dominated the cement market. He alleged that Gambians are often forced to wait for up to two months at the factory in Senegal due to the long queues of trucks. He argued that the Senegalese government has consistently protected the factory, which has in turn strengthened other local companies in Senegal.
Mr. Hydara further alleges that Senegalese authorities impose heavy taxes on Gambian exports such as water, oil, sugar, and Bell Bottling beverages, a move he says discourages Gambian industries. He also accused Senegalese producers of duplicating Bell Bottling products and pushing them into the Gambian market “to kill the company.”
“If they think Senegalese cement will solve the cement problem in The Gambia, it is a big lie,” Mr. Hydara remarked.
On the current shortage of cement in The Gambia, the Jah Oil boss discloses that his company’s cargo ship, CL HEIDI, which carries the Liberian flag, has recently arrived at Banjul seaport with 53,000 metric tons of cement but was unable to offload due to heavy rains. He adds that another cargo ship is expected to dock with 44,000 metric tons of cement, amounting to 881,400 bags for distribution in the local market this month.
Mr. Hydara explains that Jah Oil normally loads up to 150 trucks of cement daily, but delays are often caused by transporters. He alleged that some drivers collected multiple tickets and supply clients selectively for personal gain, creating bottlenecks in distribution.
He stresses that Jah Oil employs 510 people directly, while thousands more benefit indirectly through its cement operations. He therefore urged the Barrow administration to support and protect local industries, which he said would boost tax revenues and create more jobs for Gambians.
A truck driver, Modou Nyassi of Brikama, also told this reporter that delays in cement supply were largely caused by heavy rains, which forced operations to stop temporarily. He added that some drivers prioritized customers offering higher prices, which further contributed to the distribution delays.
