The Youth Monument at Westfield is being demolished by the Kanifing Municipal Council. This decison came almost a year after the monument’s closure by the authorities, which was prompted by the indicent and illegal activities reportedly carried out there.

The exercise upon completion will widen the visibility of the area and make it more attractive to Gambians and visitors alike. Pa Kalipha Sanyang, senior manager for Public Affairs at the Kanifing Municipal Council, told the Daily Observer that the monument will be levelled to the ground after which they will landscape the area so that it will have the ‘characteristics of a modern city’.

He added: “We were not quite happy with activities that used to go on there while the structure was there. So in consultation with the central government, we decided to demolish it accordingly, landscape it, beautify, and maintain it so that people can hang out there and relax.”

The monument came into existence following the first-ever National Youth Conference and Festival (NAYCONF) organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports in 1999, which washosted by the Kanifing Municipality. When this reporter visited the site, most of the exercise have been carried out and trucks were seen collecting the debris.