President Adama Barrow Commission UTG Faraba Banta Lot 2, Accelerates Gambia’s March Toward a World-Class Education Hub. By Raymond Enoch
President Adama Barrow today marked a defining milestone in The Gambia’s higher education journey with the inauguration of Lot 2 of the University of The Gambia (UTG) Faraba Banta Campus, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to building a globally competitive, innovation-driven university system.
At a colourful ceremony, the President commissioned key academic and administrative facilities under Lot 2, including the Akinwumi Adesina School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, the Faculty of Law, and the Chancery Building. The newly completed complex hosts fourteen state-of-the-art laboratories designed to drive agricultural transformation, environmental sustainability, food security, and climate resilience, positioning UTG as a strategic engine for national development.
The Faculty of Law, equipped with a modern moot court, is set to elevate legal education and professional training, strengthening justice delivery, the rule of law, and the promotion of human rights in The Gambia.
President Barrow also laid the foundation stone for Lot 3, signalling the next phase of expansion that will house the School of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences. The planned facilities will cater for Medicine, Nursing, Public Health, Pharmacy, and Biomedical Sciences, supported by sixteen advanced laboratories and a teaching clinic, aimed at producing highly skilled health professionals and reducing reliance on foreign medical training.
Delivering his address, President Barrow reflected on the historic significance of the project, noting that for decades Gambians envisioned a national university campus with the capacity to support advanced learning and research. He said that vision is now taking tangible shape in Faraba Banta, as the government works deliberately to transform UTG into a world-class citadel of learning.
The inauguration featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by a guided tour of the new facilities, showcasing purpose-built spaces for teaching, research, innovation, collaboration, and administration. The infrastructure underscores a shift toward modern, student-centred and research-driven higher education in the country.
The UTG Faraba Banta expansion is funded by the Government of The Gambia, in partnership with key development financiers including BADEA – the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, the Islamic Development Bank Group, the Saudi Fund for Development, the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), the OPEC Fund, among others.
With the commissioning of Lot 2 and the launch of Lot 3, the Faraba Banta Campus stands as a powerful symbol of national ambition—anchoring education at the heart of The Gambia’s long-term development, human capital growth, and global competitiveness.
