President Adama Barrow has vowed to fix the country’s electricity crisis, insisting that his government has the determination and resources to restore reliable power.

Speaking Tuesday during an inspection of NAWEC facilities in Kotu and Brikama, President Barrow said new generation machines were expected to arrive within a week and would be installed and repaired before the end of October.

“We are bringing in new machines very soon, in one week,” he said. “We will fix them before the end of October.”

The president’s visit came a day after residents in parts of the Greater Banjul Area and West Coast Region took to the streets with candles to protest prolonged electricity blackouts.

Barrow acknowledged the difficulties facing the country but said the situation required strong leadership.

“Things are difficult, but if you are a leader, these are some of the times that you need to be strong,” he said.

He praised NAWEC technicians and staff for working continuously to restore electricity, saying the response involved more than the company’s management.

“Not the management alone, the general staff… these are the ones working around the clock to make sure power is restored in this country,” he said.

Barrow also thanked government partners and senior officials for their efforts, saying they were working around the clock to address the crisis.

The president called for dialogue and peaceful engagement as the country confronts the electricity problem, saying Gambians should be able to raise their concerns without violence or destruction of public infrastructure.

He said electricity was among the basic services Gambians needed, alongside roads and water, and pledged to continue working to provide them.

“They need electricity. They need support. They need roads. They need water. I will work for them,” Barrow said.

The president also pointed to his administration’s infrastructure and healthcare projects, saying some of the initiatives had initially been met with doubts but were eventually delivered.

He cited the Senegambia Highway and major health infrastructure as examples of projects he said demonstrated his government’s ability to undertake ambitious developments.

Barrow said the current electricity crisis was another challenge his government could overcome.

“To me, this is a small challenge,” he said, describing the situation as a test and expressing confidence that he could fix it.
“I am very confident that I will fix it,” he added.