Gambian president Adama Barrow was on Wednesday awarded the Great Builder Super Prize – The Africa Road Builders Babacar Ndiaye Trophy 2019 for his personal leadership in building the Senegambia bridge that links Gambia to Senegal.
The award was given on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank Groupin Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
The Senegambia bridge, which measures 942 metres, was funded entirely by the AfDB through a $88.4 million grant to Gambia and a $4.4 million loan to Senegal.
The bridge was opened in January this year by Presidents Barrow and Macky Sall of Senegal.
Gambia’s Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Mamburay Njie, who accepted the award on behalf of the head of state, hailed the bridge as one of the greatest achievements of the sub-region. Njie said the bridge promised great things for the connectivity and integration of Gambia and Senegal.
“It is also a contribution to the African continent’s integration agenda. Its other positive effects for the sub-region include a significant reduction in travel times, stronger social cohesion, and better access to the Nouakchott-Dakar-Lagos transport corridor,” Njie said.
AFDB’s representative at the event Mike Salawou offered the Bank’s support for the initiators of the Africa Road Builders (ARB) ceremony and underscored the importance of continuing to invest in Africa’s infrastructure.
“The African Development Bank is investing heavily in infrastructure, but we are still a long way off our expectations. It is through projects like the Senegambia bridge that we will achieve them,” Salawou said.
The Babacar Ndiaye Super Prize is an award for heads of state whose countries initiate outstanding projects or achievements with regard to the development of roads, transportation and mobility. It was founded by The Africa Road Builders (ARB).
