By Arfang MS Camara,
NRA Communication Officer
Sulayman Sumareh Janneh, the deputy managing director of the National Roads Authority has been appointed board member of the International Road Federation (IRF Global).
Mr Sumareh Janneh’s appointment to the board preceded the just concluded 2024 IRF Global conference held in Orlando, Florida, USA.
The convergence, which brought together transportation leaders, policymakers, researchers and industry professionals from over 70 countries, served as a truly global forum for advancing roads and transport innovation.
Its broad participation highlighted the power of international collaboration to address shared challenges in mobility and infrastructure.
The mission of the IRF Global, among other things, is to assist countries in progressing towards better, safer and smarter road systems. It regards safe, accessible and environmentally sound road networks as fundamental building blocks for human and economic development.
Accepting his board membership of the IRF Global, Mr Sumareh Janneh stated: “I am humbled by the consideration and the eventual nomination to be the only African board member representing the entire African continent, whereby I am championing the African cause at the board level of the IRF.”
According to him, being a member of the IRF Global Board will give him the ability and the platform to be able to advocate for The Gambia and Africa as a whole, adding that one of the things he is currently working on is trying to bring the IFR Conference to The Gambia.
“We are in advance talks at the board level, with the presidency and the chairmanship of the IRF as a whole, to see how best to put together logistical considerations to have the conference in The Gambia in 2025,” revealed the NRA deputy managing director.
He said the 2024 IRF Global Conference “was very important, and it was an honour to have been present amongst the midst of world leaders in the engineering industry”.
He said the IRF Global is a premium organisation that embodies most of the industry-leading world-class engineers in the world, noting that the just-concluded December 2024 gathering also showcased different modern engineering technologies and innovative construction products.
