The recent donation of equipment worth over D2.5 billion to the government of The Gambia by the Japanese Government through the Extended Grant for Environment and Climate Change Mitigation is indeed worthy of commendation.

The occasion, which also witnessed the handing over of food and non-food items from the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the government of The Gambia, is yet another manifestation of the true bilateral relations between the two countries and their peoples.

It is an exhibition of true development cooperation, meant to augment the ongoing development programmes initiated and implemented by the government of The Gambia under the dynamic and visionary leadership of President Jammeh.

It must be noted that development is a gradual process, which requires both local and international support. The country's development objectives as contained in the Millennium Development Goals, Vision 2020, and the Programme for Accelerated Growth and Empowerment, coupled with the unprecedented developments achieved by the government within a period of 18 years, are manifestations of the country's high speed transformation from a poor nation to a well-developed nation.

The donated equipment will not only improve and strengthen disaster-related preparedness and rapid response of the government through the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), but would also help to improve the infrastructural development of the country.

Moreover, it will specifically help to strengthen the objectives of the Disaster Risk Reduction under the NDMA, with structures in all regions of the country.