18TH FEBRUARY 2026

BANJUL

Your Excellencies, the First Lady, Fatou Bah-Barrow and Madam Sarjo Mballow-Barrow,

Your Excellency, the Vice President,

Former Vice Presidents Present,

My Lord, the Chief Justice,

Honourable Deputy Speaker of National Assembly,

Honourable Members of Cabinet and the National Assembly,

Lord Mayors of Banjul and Kanifing Municipalities, Governors and Executive Coordinators,

Members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps,

Government Officials and Service Chiefs,

Venerable Religious Leaders

Distinguished Personalities,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Boys and Girls,

As we commemorate the 61st anniversary of our independence, we are marking much more than the passage of time. Rather, we are celebrating and reflecting deeply and proudly on what independence truly means in practice. Independence is not only a historical milestone; it is a living responsibility that demands vision, discipline, and collective effort from all of us. It embraces the capacity to chart our own development path, harness our own resources, and shape a future anchored in dignity, opportunity, and shared prosperity.

This year’s theme, “Harnessing the Gambia’s Human and Infrastructural Resources for an Inclusive Leap to Prosperity,” captures the very essence of our National Development Plan (YIRIWA). This plan translates political independence into economic transformation, social inclusion, and national self-belief. YIRIWA provides the strategic direction for building a resilient economy, strengthening institutions, and ensuring that no Gambian is left behind. Sixty-one years ago, our forebears fought not merely for a flag or an anthem, but for the right to decide our destiny. Their sacrifices laid the foundation for a sovereign Gambia governed by the will of its people. Today, YIRIWA stands as a modern expression of that historic struggle: a Gambian-owned blueprint, driven by Gambian priorities and focused squarely on improving the lives and livelihoods of Gambians.

Fellow Gambians,

In our early years of independence, the guiding philosophy of nation-building was grounded in the belief in hard work, resilience, honesty, and collective responsibility. These values taught us to depend on our own strength, work together, and place national interest above individual gain. Today, as our nation matures and our development challenges become more complex, we need to progress through our National Development Plan - YIRIWA.

YIRIWA, meaning “development,” implies transforming resilience into strategic planning, hard work into productivity, and collective effort into inclusive growth.

Independence is hollow if it does not deliver results. Under the YIRIWA framework, we have deliberately focused on the foundations of sovereignty, health, energy, infrastructure, education, food security, and democratic governance because a nation that cannot power its homes, feed its people, educate its youth, or protect rights cannot fully claim its freedom.

Since 2017, and consolidated under YIRIWA, we have expanded and upgraded health facilities across the country, strengthened service delivery, and invested in human capital so that access to healthcare is no longer a privilege, but a right.

In the energy sector, the expansion of the national grid and the commissioning of renewable energy projects, including large-scale solar investments, reflect our commitment to energy independence, climate responsibility, and economic competitiveness.

Our roads, linking rural farms to urban markets and communities to opportunities, are not merely infrastructure; they are arteries of inclusion and national integration.

From the OIC roads to feeder roads across the regions, these investments are reducing isolation, facilitating trade, and opening up new economic opportunities for our people. They symbolise independence that connects rather than excludes.

Distinguished Guests,

At the heart of YIRIWA is our renewed drive for food self-sufficiency, agricultural modernisation, and rural transformation. By supporting farmers with improved inputs, equipment, extension services, and market access, we are reclaiming control over our food systems and reaffirming the principle that a sovereign nation must be able to feed itself. Agriculture thus remains central to employment creation, poverty reduction, and national stability. Independence also demands freedom with accountability. Building on the democratic foundations laid by our pioneers, my government has expanded civic space, strengthened institutions, established the National Human Rights Commission, and reaffirmed respect for the rule of law. These measures are essential for consolidating democracy, promoting justice, and ensuring that governance remains responsive to the needs and aspirations of the people.

Fellow Gambians,

No nation can leap forward without investing in its people. Through YIRIWA, education has been repositioned as a strategic pillar of development. The rollout of the Competency-Based Curriculum, reforms in early-grade language policy, and the transformation of key institutions into universities dedicated to education and civil service excellence are designed to produce skills, values, innovation, and professionalism aligned with national development priorities.

Our youth, who represent the largest share of our population, are not a challenge to be managed, but a resource to be unleashed. Through skills development, entrepreneurship support, digital innovation, and targeted youth financing, we are laying the groundwork for a generation that will define Gambian independence in economic terms through enterprise, productivity, creativity, and resilience.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We admit that challenges persist. Youth unemployment, cost-of-living pressures, climate shocks, and global economic uncertainties remind us that independence is a journey, not a destination.

YIRIWAA teaches that resilience lies in planning, unity, and discipline. Through national cohesion, social solidarity, and shared sacrifice above politics, ethnicity, or region, we will overcome these challenges.

To our civil servants, I reaffirm my government’s zero tolerance for corruption, inefficiency, and complacency. Independence requires integrity in public service, efficiency in delivery, and accountability at all levels. We will continue to strengthen systems that ensure public resources serve the public good and deliver value for money.

Before I conclude, I wish to express my profound appreciation to the parents, teachers, and especially our children and young people whose enthusiastic participation in today’s celebration and colourful march past have added pride, joy, and national spirit to this historic occasion. Your discipline, energy, and patriotism reflect the promise of our future and the values we seek to nurture as a nation.

I also extend sincere gratitude to our Defence and Security Services for their selfless service, professionalism, and outstanding participation in this Independence Day Anniversary march past. Their unwavering commitment to safeguarding our sovereignty, peace, and stability remains a cornerstone of our independence and national development.

In conclusion, fellow Gambians, the story of The Gambia at sixty-one (61) is one of renewed confidence and purposeful direction. Through YIRIWA, we are converting independence from a historical achievement into a daily reality measured in better schools, stronger institutions, reliable energy, productive farms, empowered youth, and inclusive growth that touches every community.

As we celebrate today, let us recommit ourselves to the ideals that brought us here: unity, hard work, self-belief, discipline, and love for country. Together, let us continue building a peaceful, prosperous, and resilient Gambia for present and future generations.

Happy sixty-first (61st) Independence Anniversary.

Long live The Gambia!

God bless The Gambia!