GAMBIA: President Barrow Commissions Gambia’s First National Food and Drug Quality Control Laboratory

President Adama Barrow on Thursday, officially opened The Gambia’s first ever National Food and Drug Quality Control Laboratory, a landmark facility designed to enhance public health, food safety and consumer protection across the country.

The project is anchored on the National Development Plan (NDP) “Yiriwa” and is a reflection of the government’s commitment to building a resilient, self-reliant and prosperous nation.

Barrow, at the opening ceremony, said a healthy population depends on access to safe food and effective medicines. He said the state-of-the-art laboratory is equipped with modern technology that can detect harmful substances, contaminants and bacteria in food products, improving safety standards and protecting consumers.

The President urged the business community to consider regulatory measures as opportunities and not obstacles, and to comply with quality standards for sustainable growth.

“Regulations are not roadblocks to success, they are bridges to sustainable growth,” he assured manufacturers, importers and processors that the government will continue to work closely with them to ensure products meet established standards before they hit the market.

Barrow expressed gratitude to the World Bank for financing the project and commended the Ministry of Health for successfully implementing it. He underscored the significance of the laboratory in enhancing the country’s capacity to independently verify the safety and quality of food and medicines.

“The Gambia will no longer rely solely on other countries to verify the safety of its medicines and food. We will test them here, certify them here, and protect the citizens and residents of our country,” he stated.

The modern laboratory is strategically located in Brusubi in the West Coast Region, providing convenient access to some of the country’s fastest-growing population centres.