The GIZ Technical Cooperation (TC) component of the Fund for Regional Stabilization and Development in Fragile Regions within ECOWAS Member States (FRSD) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has closed its pilot project in The Gambia.
Speaking at the closing ceremony held on Wednesday at the SDKJ International Conference Centre, Dr. Markus Wagner, GIZ Country Director for Nigeria and ECOWAS, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the government and people of The Gambia for the warm welcome and high appreciation they received since their arrival in Banjul.
He explained that it is only after such a remarkable experience that one can truly understand why this lovely part of a beautiful continent is called the Smiling Coast of Africa.
Dr. Markus expressed admiration at the ongoing level of cooperation, further expressing that at the end of the project they will have a successful implementation.
"The closing of this successful pilot project at the same time marks the launch of new technical cooperation by GIZ under FRSD in other ECOWAS member states such as Guinea Bissau, Togo and Benin. In Guinea Bissau, the implementation has already been launched earlier this year." he added,
To that end, Dr. Markus extended gratitude to the ECOWAS Commission for the trust they have placed in them to implement the pilot project of regional cooperation, while also reiterating the unwavering support and collaboration they continuously received from the Gambian government throughout the past years.
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"The highly visible representation and involvement of the Gambian authorities in the closing event, underline the impacts and the importance they attribute to the project in The Gambia."
HE Damtien Larbli Tchintchibidja, ECOWAS Vice President congratulated the Gambia for the successful implementation of the pilot project, saying 'if you do a pilot and it isn't successful, the likelihood of continuing or for any future activities is very small.' At the end of this pilot, she added that ECOWAS, GIZ and the German government are confident in the project and the fact that it can do well that other countries can take to be as effective as The Gambia.
The Vice President mentioned that ECOWAS has additional funds which will be put into some of the projects and activities that will kick start at the beginning of the year. "It will not be GIZ fund but we have additional activities that we will do to align with the pilot project just to enhance and complete some of the work that has been started," she buttressed.
HE Damtien believes that Gambians can all make it in The Gambia in view of the fact that the project has succeeded, adding that many of the beneficiaries are confident they can make it here.
She reminded that 'if one can raise funds to take the irregular migration', he/she can also raise funds to start a business in the country.
