The Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment has expressed delight to lay the foundation stone of the first Lumo Project which marks the beginning of their journey to modernize Lumos in the country.
He described Lumos as important market centers in the country as they are helping to integrate border communities, hence, promoting regional integration through trade.
Hon. Baboucarr Ousmaila Joof made these remarks on Friday during the laying of the foundation stone of their first Lumo Project at Wellingara Ba in Lower River Region.
Considering the importance of Lumos in promoting cross-border trade, the ministry identified modernization of Lumos across the country as a key priority in the development of domestic trade; consequently, the need to develop a domestic trade strategy was eminent.
Minister Joof thanked ECOWAS Commission for their foresight in initiating the ECOWAS Cross-Border Cooperation Support Program (2023-2027) which aims at strengthening Cross-Border Cooperation among border communities, which promotes their socioeconomic development. He commended the Commission for their generous support to this project at a tune of $100,000. He also thanked the Government of The Gambia and Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) for their contributions to project.
In addition, he applauded the staff of his Ministry, Mansakonkong Area Council, the National Assembly member for Jarra East and the Village Development Community of Wellingaraba for their unwavering support and commitment to this project. “The teamwork you demonstrated so far has been excellent and I encourage you to maintain the same spirit throughout the execution stage of the project,” he stated.
He urged the consultant to be vigilant by ensuring quality work is delivered at all times as this should be one of President Adama Barrow’s legacy as President of the Republic. For that to be realized by generations yet unborn, he said standards must be upheld but not compromised. He appealed to them to work together to harness the potential of the Wellingaraba market to unleash economic opportunities, empower their traders and vendors, and strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation across borders. “Together, we can create a legacy of prosperity and progress that will endure for generations to come,” he affirmed.
PS Lamin Dampha, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Trade, informed the community that this project is supported by ECOWAS Commission for their foresight in initiating the ECOWAS Cross-Border Cooperation Support Program (2023-2027) that is meant to support border communities. He revealed the modernization of the lumos in the country is an initiative of Minister Joof. According to him, they have done a prior assessment of all the lumos in the country and they decided to modernize it to trade centers that are fit for purpose.
Mr. Edrisa Waggeh, deputizing for the Governor of the region, advised the beneficiaries to handle the structure and borehole with proper care and with high level of sanitation upon completion of the project. He also urged them to levy funds from beneficiaries for the maintenance of the structure.
Mr Landing Sanneh, the chairman of the Mansakonko Area Council commended the Ecowas Commission for their support while urging the community to join hands to support the project for it successful implementation.
