By Amadou Jadama
Sheikh Sidia Bayo, founder and CEO of the New Generation Movement, has called on President Adama Barrow to urgently address the rising cost of living, warning that “the average Gambian cannot eat three meals a day” and that household hardship is deepening.
His remarks came over the weekend as he distributed food aid through his movement and unveiled a new, nonpartisan initiative aimed at cushioning vulnerable families.
At a handing over held at Pipeline and Tanji central mosques, Bayo donated 18 bags of rice and supplementary items. Pipeline Mosque received 5 bags and Tanji Mosque received 5 bags, while 8 bags were split among needy households—each beneficiary receiving 5 kilograms of rice, dates, and a T‑shirt. Receiving the support, Pipeline Imam Abdoulie Faye expressed gratitude for the gesture and its timing.
Bayo used the event to launch “Barrow La Nemo” (“a blessing of President Barrow”), which he described as a nonpolitical, community-focused drive to reduce hardship, restore dignity, and expand opportunities for self-reliance. The initiative will support food security, basic health interventions, and small-scale entrepreneurship.
“We support the vision of development and stability under President Barrow’s leadership, but ‘Barrow La Nemo’ is not a government program and is not directed by the President,” he said. “If another leader were in office, we would use the same framing to reflect our belief that national development is everyone’s responsibility.”
Bayo said his message is a “wake-up call” to government and political actors to refocus on citizens’ daily realities. “I arrived two days ago and have followed the news and social media from the diaspora. There are too many partisan conflicts while the most important issue—the living conditions of the people—is being neglected,” he argued. “You can build infrastructure, but if households cannot afford food or access decent healthcare, social tensions will grow.”
He stressed his stance is pro-people, not partisan. “I am Gambian; I support President Barrow and I do my business, but this is not about politics. We fought against dictatorship to gain democracy, and Gambians are still asking for a better Gambia. The government must improve living conditions. That is my message to the President and his team,” he said. “We, in the New Generation Movement, do not need support from government—we need support for the people.”
Bayo appealed to the private sector and the Gambian diaspora to step in alongside the movement. “We have decided to act, to show the way to government and business to intervene and help,” he said, urging broader philanthropic participation and public–private collaboration.
Looking ahead, he disclosed plans to extend distributions to rural communities and to assist people with cataracts and other basic health needs through targeted medical support. “The Gambian people want peace and stability, and so do I. Let’s maintain that by addressing hardship directly and urgently,” he added.
The movement emphasized that its relief efforts will prioritize community hubs like mosques and other local institutions that are central to outreach and social support.
