Hamat Bah, minister of Tourism and Culture, has admitted his ‘failure’ to get the country a national cultural troop since coming to office six years ago.

Speaking during a launch of a $68 million grant project at the International Conference Centre in Bijilo, Bah described the “failure as a shame” because The Gambia is the only country in Africa without a national cultural troop.

“We are the only country without a national troop. It’s a shame. I constituted a committee before Covid and it disappeared after Covid. I believe I am guilty everyday that I wake up that we have a country without a national troop,” he said.

However, Mr Bah promised that “one of my main objectives now is to make sure before I leave office at least we have a national troop. 

“Because I believe every Gambian tribe needs to be represented in that troop. And it’s a shame. We don’t even have a national theatre.”

Reporting by Adama Makasuba