Following the recent laying down of the foundation stone for the construction of the Mega Five Star Hotel, The Gambia government has confirmed its preparations to host the forthcoming Summit of the Organization of Islamic Committee (OIC), with summit projects designed to be legacy.
Since The Gambia gained independence in 1965, this proposed Five-Star Hotel project, it is the single biggest investment in the tourism sector.
This is, however, in line with related project implementations, such as the construction of the roads along the Kombo Coastal Road Highway which connects the Banjul International Airport to the International Conference Centre in Bijilo.
The project is being described as one of the major infrastructure development projects for the forthcoming OIC Heads of States and government summit to be hosted by the Gambia government.
Notably, as a Member State of the OIC, the Gambia government was given the opportunity to host the summit, which is one of the biggest summits in the Muslim world.
However, it could be recalled that The Gambia government also hosted the African Union (AU) Summit in 2006 which brought together various Kings and Heads of State throughout the African Continent.
In that Summit, former President Yahya Jammeh said that the AU Summit held in Banjul in 2006 was the most successful ever in seven years of history of the African Union both in terms of organization and attendance.
It is expected that there would be huge commitments vested by the government, consultants, Project Steering Committee, and Project Implementation Unit of the Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure to the successful completion of the mega project with the best quality.
Furthermore, it is also a challenge to the current government to ensure a successful OIC Summit both in terms of attendance and organization.