His Excellency President Adama Barrow today received a delegation from GK Partners at the State House, where he was briefed on their latest activities and progress in diaspora investment initiatives.
During the audience with Professor Gibril Faal, Programme Director of Migration and Sustainable Development in The Gambia Project and the delegation, President Barrow underscored the vital role Gambians in the Diaspora play in nation-building. He encouraged them to invest and contribute to advancing the country’s development, noting that such efforts create mutual benefits: “While government is playing its role in national development, others can also come in to complement our efforts.”
The President commended GK Partners for their innovative use of data to shape policy, stressing that, “Policies should be informed by reality, and data helps in planning and project establishment. With digitalisation advancing data collection, it is the way forward.” He cited how digitalisation has improved revenue collection without raising taxes, providing evidence-based support for policy decisions.
President Barrow concluded by calling for unity and patriotism, urging all Gambians to help sustain peace and stability in the country. Since partnering with the Government in 2017, GK Partners has worked with various ministries and institutions to support policy development aligned with national programmes. Over 220 projects have been implemented, mostly in rural areas, with a strong focus on empowering young people.
Professor Faal presented a new publication documenting the “Methodology of Measuring Diaspora Contributions to National Development,” using The Gambia as a model. GK Partners has successfully developed and tested the Government–Diaspora partnership framework and now plans to expand the model to other countries.
He further commended President Barrow’s steadfast commitment to strengthening Government–Diaspora relations as a driver of national development.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Office of The President- Republic of the Gambia.
