Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center is a 14,000 square meters conference center in The Gambia, located in Kombo North/Saint Mary.[1] The project began in 2017 and inaugurated in January 2020.[2] The construction of the part was controversial because it the construction removed important land from the Bijilo Forest Park, a popular tourist location and natural space home to endangered Western red colobus monkeys.[3][4][5][6]
The conference center was built and funded by Chinese investment of US$50 million in the country.[1][2] The center was treated as an important international gesture between the two countries, the first collaborative project since resumption of relations.[1] The center was built in part to host the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.[2] The first major event in the space was the Annual General Meeting of the African Development Bank in August 2020.[7]
The center was named after Dawda Kairaba Jawara, the first president of The Gambia.[2]
- ^ a b c Ilolo, Patricia (2020-01-15). "The Gambia inaugurates Dawda Kairaba Conference Center". Construction Review Online. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ a b c d "Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Intl. Conference Centre Opened". The Chronicle Gambia. 2020-01-11. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ "Saving Bijilo Monkey Park and the Western Red Colobus Monkey". www.gambia.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ "Gambian activists block building plans in endangered monkey habitat | Africa Times". africatimes.com. 2018-05-06. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ "No one has right to lease gov't lands - Tourism Minister - The Point". thepoint.gm. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ TEAM, CCE NEWS (2017-09-15). "Gambia builds conference centre at Bijilo National Park". CCE l ONLINE NEWS. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
- ^ "Gambia: Sir Dawda Conference Centre Hosts Maiden Event". allAfrica.com. 2020-08-31. Retrieved 2020-10-12.