Kairaba Ave: An emerging epicenter of business activities

Business plays a crucial role in the development of any nation. It is such an important component in nation building that it needs special attention, as it contribute greatly to the GDP of the country.

In most developing countries, The Gambia included, business contributes immensely to the economy, as it helps the country in terms of both domestic and international commodities. The Gambia in recent years has also witnessed tremendous expansion in the business sector, attracting both indigenous and foreign business people.

In creating growth, The Gambia government, under the leadership of President Jammeh, has inexorably paved the way for new poles of development to emerge. As such, Kairaba Avenue has become the epicenter of business activities in the country. In fact, economic activities tend to be increasingly shifting from the capital city, Banjul, to areas around the Kairaba Avenue.

It is against this backdrop that the Daily Observer went around to sample the opinion of people on what prompts them to establish their businesses in this area. George Asante, manager of First Choice Garden Centre, located along the Kairaba Avenue, believes that development within the Greater Banjul has contributed to this. According to him, over the past years, business activities have been gaining momentum as customers come in  large numbers. He also pointed out that due to its strategic location and nearness to a large number of people in the Kombos, the area cannot be compared to the city of Banjul now.

Development in this country, he said, has taken its course over the years. He then added there is more business concentration in the capital because of the availability of electricity, good roads, and other ideal facilities for prospective business. "I started business here since 2003, selling farming equipment,” he added.

Saikou Jimbara, a staff at Maya Traders, echoed him. For him, Kairaba Avenue constitutes a real pole of development. However, with effect of the global economic crisis, he indicated that nowadays business is getting affected as buyers are not forthcoming in spite of the rate at which shops continue to open daily. Bilal Touray, credit controller at NAWEC, described Kairaba Avenue as a very busy centre compared to Banjul. He said the advantages associated with the former lay in the fact that it is accessible almost all the time. He added that the size of Banjul also contributes somehow.

He said: "At Kairaba Avenue people work from 8:00am to 7:00pm. At 12 midnight, customers will still come. But you don’t have that chance in the city.” One resident of Serrekunda said business is far better in Kairaba Avenue simply because development is shifting from the capital city to the Kanifing Municipality due to the concentration of people.

The business community, this person added, benefits a lot in a very open area like Kairaba Avenue than it does in the city. Its ideal location, he added, also serves as a pull factor for people who move about both day and night. "You don’t establish in a place where customers are not coming," he stressed. Oumpa Mendy, an accounting student, believes that Banjul is too congested for business, compared to Kairaba Avenue. He added that space scarcity for the business people makes matters worst for the city. Ebrima N Touray, manager of Sultan Sweets, also argued that the vast concentration of people in the Kombos is a main contributing factor to this trend.