Having only gained independence in 1965, however, the nation’s largely undeveloped economy was not the least bit complemented by its dry, vagarious climate. A continually lackluster production of groundnuts and other flagship crops resulted in a steady decline in its gross domestic product and foreign exchange earnings, causing The Gambia to fade into the black waters of economic obscurity.
This whirlpool decline in exports, investments, and consumption as an offshoot of meager economic activity saw a sea of change when Amadou Samba entered the world of Gambian commerce. Spending the first ten years of his career in civil service as a state counsel, Samba gained a formidable reputation as a lawyer, attracting clients left and right with his solid chamber work and representation when he decided to practice privately in 1985.
Testing the waters of industry, he took the role of trust managing director for construction magnate ALFRON (Gambia) Ltd. in 1986. He then established Moskam Fisheries, raising production to such heights that made fish and fish produce the country’s second biggest export.
Going against the tides, Samba founded a series of commercial firsts for The Gambia – GACEN, the nation’s first cement manufacturer, Gamwater, the country’s premiere water bottling company, Gamcorrugate, the nation’s pilot manufacturer for corrugated materials and boards, and Gampetroleum, the nation’s first oil storage, retailer, and distributor.
A beacon of industrial innovation, operational virtue, and social development, he leads The Gambia’s Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation as chairman of the board of directors.
More on how Amadou Samba sailed The Gambia through the high seas of industrialization is available at gambia.gtbank.com/amadou_samba.php.
