Fellow Gambians,

Esteemed Residents and Friends of The Gambia,

2025 ends today, giving way to 2026. For all the favours, mercies, and blessings showered upon us, I humbly express endless praises and thanks to the Almighty God. In doing so, the peace and stability, as well as the development successes recorded this far, particularly come to mind.

2025 was a historic year, as we jubilantly celebrated sixty years of political independence. During these nine years of my Presidency, democracy and the rule of law have thrived, and there is a lot to show for the government’s development achievements. We have changed the nation’s sectoral delivery landscape as significantly as the physical landscape of the country.

Implementation of the 2023-2027 Yiriwa National Development Plan is progressing very well, and all Gambians should take pride in the achievements registered in 2025.

The numerous infrastructure projects completed successfully illustrate this. The road networks inaugurated all over the country are among the invaluable projects that have brought ease, safety, and progress to countless beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, my government is working hard to deliver universal access to electricity and, for the first time since pre-colonial times, connect most rural communities to the national grid.

Expansion in the education and health sectors is another source of satisfaction. University and tertiary education places increased substantially in 2025. Today, every candidate who satisfies the entry requirements has a fair chance of acquiring a university or tertiary education and training. For a small state like The Gambia, this is remarkable. Likewise, healthcare has taken a new turn for the better.

Our standing in the international community continues to improve. The international meetings hosted in the country during the year highlight our acceptance by the international community, after decades of rejection and isolation. This is further demonstrated by our ratings and the roles we play in international bodies, such as the UN, OIC, AU, ECOWAS. We thank each of them and all those who have partnered with us over the years.

Fellow Gambians,

Esteemed Residents and Friends of The Gambia,

Feedback from the people and official reports received, together with the latest update on the security status of the country, are convincingly assuring.

The number of legislations enacted, governance bodies established, and the policy development and implementation rate also affirm the country’s accelerated pace of progress. These are preconditions for nation-building. Because the task of national development rests on the people collectively, uniting the people to develop the country faster is our greatest challenge.

2026 is, of course, the year of our next Presidential Election, and it has already generated excitement, but we must allow peace and restraint to prevail. Let us engage in ethical politics and avoid violence, enmity, disunity, and violation of one another’s rights. Hate speech, in particular, must not have any place in Gambian politics. The media personnel and social media content creators should be mindful of this and help to spread our shared Gambian values.

Unity, development, peace, security, stability, and economic growth should preoccupy us, and these will remain the focus of my government.

Like the world over, it is not all rosy in the country. There are challenges to tackle. The task of getting a new Constitution, for example, is hanging over us, and although the 2025 farming season was relatively good, rainfall distribution was uneven.

The cost of living, arising from global market prices, youth unemployment, irregular migration, the crime rate, and unrest in some parts of the world are massive challenges to resolve. The conflicts in Palestine, Ukraine, Russia, and Sudan, and the African countries under unconstitutional rule are cases in point that deserve urgent attention.

While my government will do everything feasible to ease life in the country, we must act together to boost productivity and address the dependency on foreign commodities. To succeed, we must also work hard and maintain an efficient and productive stock of patriotic public servants.

Nothing can replace a productive national work force operating strong and relevant institutions that deliver. As this is a collective responsibility, let our New Year resolution centre on “Punctuality, Productivity, Professionalism, and Efficiency.” In addition, let us fight corruption collectively.

Looking ahead, there are loads of opportunities before us. We have the human resources, peace, stability, revenue generation mechanisms, and technology to develop the country. All we need to do is harness them to our advantage.

Fellow Gambians,

As we navigate through 2026, lots of kilometres of roads earmarked for construction will be implemented. Universal access to energy remains a target, which we will pursue relentlessly. For the health sector, our goal is to promote the country as a medical tourism destination. Quality healthcare for all Gambians will thus be given high priority.

Noting that tourist arrivals are increasing steadily, it is prudent that we support the tourism sector and make all our guests feel safe and welcome.

Fellow Gambians,

Esteemed Residents and Friends of The Gambia,

2026 will be a year of stocktaking to assess our performance during these five years. The lessons will guide us into the future to build on our successes, overcome our shortcomings, reinforce our institutions, and accelerate action.

I thank every Gambian and every partner and friend of The Gambia for the collaboration and support given to the Government. It has been a successful journey through the year.

We are equally grateful to the Gambian Diasporans for their support, either through their remittances, projects, investments, or collaboration.

My government invites and encourages all Gambians, regardless of where they are, to join hands with us for the betterment of the nation.

I promise to stick by our principles of universality and inclusivity, while upholding the rights of every Gambian national.

It takes all to build and develop a nation, but it can take a few to disturb the peace and destroy what took ages to build. So, let us be vigilant, love our country, honour the people, and work for the general welfare of all.

Let us remain focussed, look ahead with renewed optimism, and march progressively into the future, confident that the worst is over and that the best is yet to come. As we celebrate the New Year, I appeal that we remember and pray for those who have not been as fortunate as we are. They include the deceased and all those in distress. May the departed souls continue to rest in peace, and may the Almighty God comfort those in sorrow, and bless our noble efforts.

I wish you all a very happy, productive, and peaceful 2026.