Barrow to host forum with NPP Students’ Wing Saturday

The National People’s Party Students’ Wing (NPPSW) has announced plans to host a high-level student engagement forum with President Adama Barrow, aimed at deepening youth participation in national discourse and decision-making.

The event, dubbed “Student Bantaba with His Excellency President Adama Barrow,” is scheduled for Saturday, 4 July 2026, at 4pm at the NPP National Headquarters in Bundung. It is expected to bring together students from across the country for direct interaction with the President on critical issues shaping their future.

Organisers say the initiative draws inspiration from the traditional Gambian Bantaba—a long-standing platform for dialogue, consultation, and consensus-building—and seeks to adapt this model into a modern forum for youth engagement. The platform is designed to promote openness, accountability, and meaningful participation of young people in governance and national development.

According to the NPPSW, the forum will provide students with the opportunity to engage President Barrow on a wide range of issues, including education, skills development, employment, entrepreneurship, innovation, and youth inclusion in policy processes. Participants will be able to ask questions, share perspectives, and propose solutions directly to the country’s leadership.

The students’ wing emphasised that the initiative is part of a broader effort to position young people as active partners in nation-building rather than passive beneficiaries of government policy. It noted that the engagement will also help students better understand government priorities and ongoing programmes affecting youth development.

Beyond policy dialogue, the organisers say the event is intended to foster leadership, civic responsibility, and patriotism among Gambian students, while encouraging constructive and informed participation in national affairs.

By creating a direct interface between students and the Presidency, the NPPSW believes the Bantaba will strengthen trust, enhance mutual understanding, and reinforce the importance of incorporating youth voices into governance structures.

The NPPSW has extended an open invitation to students nationwide to attend what it describes as a landmark engagement, urging them to take advantage of the opportunity to directly interact with President Barrow and contribute to shaping the country’s future trajectory.