Exploiting the unexploited resources

Contrary to what is popularly believed, Africa’s development prospects rest, for the most part, on the hands of its own people; and not anyone else’s.

 In history, there is not a single nation that has attained full development without the full commitment of its own resources. Regretfully though, it has taken this continent of ours ages to come to appreciate the fact that our locally available wherewithal is just enough to take us to international standard.
 
The natural resources needed for this have never been the problem, nor has there been any shortage of the human resource base. The only attributable problem is that, until recently, we lacked the wisdom to see that the continent was underexploited. In The Gambia, for instance, the fishing industry has always been a potentially productive sector, yet it has barely been exploited. That is either as a result of reluctance on the part of Gambians themselves, or unavailability of the needed resources - means and expertise - to help tap the full potential of our fish-rich waters. The result has been that foreigners dominate the industry, and the resultant effect is that they dictate the course of our dietary habits.

Fish, being the most popular source of protein for Gambians (not based on any known research), by virtue of its availability, as compared to meat, forms a crucial part of meals prepared in Gambian households. For many more people, it is even popular during certain feasts; religious as well as social. Unfortunately, despite its abundance, there is a shortage during these feasts, because the foreign nationals we rely on have to go home to spend these special occasions with their families. This is all the more reason why Gambians should take ownership of an industry as crucial as this.

The government of The Gambia though, is not relenting in its strive to ensure that Gambians are given the opportunity to run their own affairs. We have seen a number of undertakings that are geared towards this. Just recently, we saw the arrival of a fishing vessel that would help revolutionise the industry, in terms of output.

And presently, the department of state responsible for fisheries is organising training sessions for the fisher folks, a move that strongly re-emphasises the level of commitment of the government.

As it has always been urging, whatever government does is a way of creating opportunities, it is up to the people to seize the opportunity and make good use of the chances made available to them.