The last decade of The Gambia, under the leadership of Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, has witnessed enormous development projects.

The reconstruction aspect of the APRC government is arguably more prominent today than it has ever been in its 14 years of existence. And infrastructural development being a top priority item in The Gambia Government's development programme, the number of ongoing related projects dotted right across the country - so prominent that they hardly go unnoticed - explains it all; and they elucidate President Jammeh's government's stance on the fact that a good transport network, uninterruptible electricity supply, etc. are imperative catalysts to the socio-economic development of any nation. This piece is just an attempt to look into some of the ongoing projects.

Westfield-Sukuta Road
Intensive work on the Westfield-Sukuta Road is already in progress. This 1.7 kilometre road project was born out of a loan agreement between The Gambia Government and the Islamic Development Fund.

Designed by the Arab Consulting Engineers, an Egyptian based firm, the road network is said to have been designed to modern standard, encompassing the construction of concrete sidewalks, a drainage system, a two lane carriage way with packing bays, amongst other features characteristic of a modern road.

The project, contracted to Copri Construction Enterprise of Kuwait by The Gambia Government, is expected to be completed within 18 months. Evidently, expectations are high that this project will greatly boost the social and economic lives of  approximately 200,000 inhabitants, who are the direct beneficiaries of the project. The completion of this project which links Sukuta to one of the country's major economic centres, Serekunda, many believe, will not only promote economic activities, but will avail the inhabitants the opportunity to easily access basic social amenities such as hospitals, health centres, and other important institutions.

A close observation reveals impressive progress - with work on the new bridge that will replace the old one at Bakoteh along the Westfield-Sukuta Highway in high gear. According to Baboucarr Bah, assistant engineer on the site, the first 10 centimeters - refilling of the road - has already began somewhere at the water treatment site in Sukuta, going towards Bakoteh.

Looking at the socio-economic impact of the Westfield-Sukuta Highway, Ashyme Saine-Kah, communications manager at GAMWORKS, said such a project will only go a long way in boosting the standard of living of the people and to a large extent enhance economic activity in the area. She observed that the benefits of the road, upon completion, will be extended to satellite towns such as Bundung, Brufut, Brusubi and Tallinding.

Some residents of Sukuta involved in petty trading at the Serrekunda Market described the project as a landmark development sanctioned by the government which has come to alleviate their sufferings. The difficulties encountered on these roads, according to them, are enormous, and they noted with delight that such  problems will soon become history. Commending President Jammeh for his concern for the people, they expressed delight that their economic activities will be enhanced once the road is completed.

Mandinaba- Jiboroh Road
The construction and regular maintenance of roads particularly those that link two or more countries can enormously contribute to the socio-economic improvement of a nation. The availability of sophisticated road networks in a country can help to cut down some of the problems faced by citizens especially those in the business sector.

The Mandinaba- Jiboroh Road occupies a key position in enhancing The Gambia's economy, as it links the country to key Senegalese commercial towns like Ziguinchor, Kolda, Tambakunda and even the capital city of Dakar. The construction of this road has reached its climax, with Balast Nedam as the contracting agent. "If it was contributing 40% to The Gambia's economy," remarked an elderly villager residing along the route, "a complete and operational road will contribute up to 75%." One group of people who are especially ecstatic about this development are students. The thought of being relieved from the pain of having to inhale unquantifiable levels of dust is reassuring.

Kotu Silo Highway
Reconstruction work on the Kotu Silo Highway also started one week back and, according to officials responsible for that project, by within two months, it will be ready.

Rural Electrification Project
The Rural Electrification Project, conceived by the Gambian leader, Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, remains an instrumental factor in the country's strive towards its Silicon Valley objective as well as its enshrined Vision 2020 goals. President Jammeh envisages electrifying the entire country.

Phase I of this landmark project has been completed for a while now, and, just a couple of days ago, news of the signing of the consultancy of the second phase was revealed. It is expected that this project will spur rural industries into vibrant economic activity and consequently stem the phenomenon of rural-urban drift, and other societal ills.In the government's national development blueprint, the provision of adequate and uninterrupted energy supply to underpin development activities remains a major policy objective.

Under the Rural Electrification Project, six new electricity generating plants have been built with a combined output of six megawatts and the first phase of this project is expected to supply electricity to rural communities, some of them in the remotest parts of the country.

In Basse and Bansang in the Upper and Central regions, the generation stage is complete with the installation of new and sophisticated generators. The transmission and distribution network is also in the final phase of installation. Its implementation will enhance the economic opportunities of the populace in these areas and improve their social well-being thereby assisting in the reduction of poverty. Consequently, rural migration to the GBA will be reduced.

Greater Banjul Street Lighting project
The degree of a country's development can, to a certain extent, be measured by the availability and consumption of electricity. The more people have access to electricity, the better their lives become. This is because electricity can be used in different ways that have direct impact on human life. For instance, its availability can ease the burden on women with regards to cooking, laundering; and can facilitate the storage of perishable goods like meat.

This is electricity at home. What about the availability of street lights in the society? Street lights does not only liberate the society from darkness, but are also instrumental in curtailing social evils like robbery, and can also permit people to have much leisure as well as earn more income. This is because the availability of street lights gives people confidence and security which in turn allows petty traders and shop keepers to stay long hours in the night to trade.

The Greater Banjul Street Lighting project is therefore one of the many initiatives of President Jammeh that will undoubtedly improve the living conditions of the people. At Banjul itself, the digging of pits for the running of underground cables has been completed. Workers are busy erecting poles and they have assured this paper that within a short time, they will fix the bulbs on the poles and that the community can expect the functioning of the lights in a few months to come.

This project is set to transform Banjul into a modern city. More important are the huge benefits that await the community when the project is completed. Speaking to this paper, some observant residents said  that it is a moral obligation upon all to respond to the calls of the president in the materialization of "our Silicon Valley dream."

This street lightening project kicked-off some four months back. Since then the contractors have been busy making sure that the project is accomplished within the stipulated time frame. The project is one of the many projects initiated by President Jammeh in his endeavour to transform this country into the envy of the rest of the world.