At 13, the University of The Gambia (UTG) is still considered to be at an infant stage. Across the world, most universities being hailed as best today started with something inadequate. Even in the developed world it usually takes considerable time before a university gets all the requisite structures and human capital to attain excellence.

In fact development, it is rightly said is a process. More so development at learning institutions where knowledge is expected to be constantly refined and enhanced to be of relevance to one’s age and time as well as the future generations.   

In our case, whether the pace of the University’s growth is impressive; or that it could grow faster, for instance had priorities not been misplaced, is still subjected to a debate. What is however proven beyond any shadow of doubt is that in spite of all the odds, the University of The Gambia has made and is making colossal contributions to enhancing the welfare of the country. As the highest learning institution, UTG as it is known in short is to some degree of satisfaction producing the much needed human capital stock vital for the country’s socio-economic and political development.

Here, we must recognise and hail the efforts and contributions of those that made the university dream a reality. In that regard, apart from the tax payers through whose taxes the university is sustained, The Gambia government under the leadership of President Yahya Jammeh deserves a big kudos for the show of steadfastness and commitment to ensuring that university education is now accessible to many Gambians.
 There has been substantial demonstration of political will on the part of the Jammeh administration towards achieving excellence at UTG. Even though the institution is under budgeted in the national budget, The Gambia government is endeavoring to close the funding gap by the signing and eventual ratifying a number of loan agreements with donor countries and agencies. The current vice chancellor Kah the first Gambian to hold that post  should be commended for the good work he is rendering.
 
But as the university grows, we hope some of the in-fighting among teachers are addressed once and for all. The camps that have been created should be broken in the interest of the development of UTG. Furthermore, Vice Chancellor Kah did admit and re-iterate that the attrition rate at the UTG is high. But as the University grows, we hope that this problem would be arrested the soonest possible time.

We also know how painful it is to complete a four year programme at the UTG. There are transportation constrains, and it is quite embarrassing to see university students scramble for seats in the face of inadequacy. But as the university grows, we hope that these surmountable challenges would soon become a thing of the past.

We know further that the vice chancellor is the administrative head of the UTG, and the president of the republic in his capacity as chancellor serves a ceremonial role. But we doubt whether this principle is applied to the letter. Therefore as the UTG grows, we expect there be greater autonomy and academic freedom at the UTG. There should be separation between what should be rendered unto politics and what should be rendered unto academics. This ought to be, even if it means doing away with the system that makes the president the chancellor. Matter-of-fact, this is the trend now in most Anglophone countries in Africa where the culture of having a president doubling as university chancellor largely exist.

We know that the enrollment rate at the UTG is increasing annually. This means the number of graduates will as well increase every year. Then, as the University of The Gambia grows, we hope that The Gambia government will both create and facilitate the creation of more job opportunities to be able to absorb the rapidly increasing number of educated Gambians made to serve their country. Failure to do that will not only pose a threat to the country’s security, but will see our best minds join the already unacceptably high number of expatriate Gambians.

Meanwhile, we equally join President Jammeh in wishing the new graduates all the successes in their career. We hope they would make to the president’s declaration of 2012 as ‘year of science and technology’, a worthy declaration.