By Lamin Njie
Preparations are in high gear for The Gambia to host the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit by next year in May.
Hosting such events come with many potential benefits for the host country; thus, The Gambia stands to benefit in many ways.
Key among the priorities to the hosting of the summit is for The Gambia to have the right infrastructure in place for the summit, notably roads network.
Currently, the ongoing construction of the Airport Junction passing through Senegambia to Stink Corner is a clear testimony of the readiness of the government to host the summit.
Driving from the Airport Junction towards the Sukuta Traffic Light, one would realise that the second layer of asphalt being added, making driving more comfortable and smoother. This will continue up to the end of the road/project at Stink Corner.
The road, which is a standard one, when completed in time, will not only serve the purpose of hosting the summit but also, it will be here for generations. It will also contribute to the reduction of the high flow of traffic along that part of the country, as well beautifying the landscape of The Gambia.
Economically, the summit is also expected to boost the economy of The Gambia, create employment for youths, place The Gambia high on the international stage as well asboost the tourism sector. Another added value to the hosting of the summit for The Gambia is the construction of nearly 20 new roads within the Greater Banjul Area and some parts of the West Coast Region.
Most of these roads are almost completed, while some are under construction. This also helps to decongest traffic within the selected communities, boost businesses, and make the day-to-day movement of the people less challenging.
Of course, there are challenges in road construction in general and the challenges in The Gambia are not a peculiar one.
However, it is believed that with time and sufficient materials in place, construction work on the Bertil Harding Highway will be much faster, and of quality as in line with international standards.
Alagie Darboe, Project Manager of the OIC Project, expressed satisfaction with the way the project is moving.
According to him, the third overpass which is situated at the Kairaba Avenue Traffic Lights will soon be a concrete as work progresses steadily.
He assured Gambians that his team and other relevant stakeholders are working hard to ensure that the project is completed within the timeframe.
He added that the work is of quality and that all the necessary measures would be in place to ensure that quality is never compromised at all times.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, formerly the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, is an inter-governmental organization founded in 1969, consisting of 57 member states, with 48 being Muslim-majority countries.
The organization aims to protect the interests of its members around the World in economic, social, cultural, and scientific activities.
