By Yunus S Saliu
After a long in-hold of the biennial celebration of the International Homecoming Roots Festival, the Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture (MOTAC) has confirmed that the government of The Gambia is doing everything possible to revive the festival in a new dimension and format.
The International Homecoming Roots Festival is one of the Brand Equities of Destination Gambia and was last organized and celebrated in 2016 since its celebration in May 2016 it has been on hold for a reason of making it a ‘viable and rewardable’ festival that everyone will benefit from.
However, in reviving it Honourable Abdoullahi Jobe has reassured that it will make The Gambia a beacon of hope for African Americans who want to connect with their ancestral home.
Minister Abdoullahi Jobe, speaking at Annapolis Duck Yard, Maryland in the United States of America on 9th December 2024 during his participation in an event organized to mark the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Kunta Kinteh Alex Haley Memorial, disclosed, when the International Homecoming Roots Festival is revived, it will be an opportunity for African Americans to visit and invest in The Gambia.
According to Minister Jobe “This will also serve as a means of contributing to the socio-economic development of The Gambia.”
As part of their visit, the Minister and team visited both The Maryland State Archives, where Alex Hailey started his research about Kunta Kinteh and his family line way back in 1967, and the Maryland State House.
The Minister was accompanied to the celebrations by Hassoum Ceesay, Director General of the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Momodou Lamin Bah, The Gambia’s Ambassador to Washington; and Ms. Fatoumatta Singhateh, Principal Planner, Ministry of Public Service; and other officials of The Gambian Mission in Washington.
