BBC Africa Debate asks: What will it take to rebuild Gambia?

This month marks 100 days since President Adama Barrow was sworn in as the head of state in The Gambia, and next week BBC Africa will be bringing audiences across the world special programmes direct from the country, on radio, online and social media.

Presenters Umaru Fofana and Rebecca Kesby, will be joined by a local audience and a guest panel in Banjul for the BBC Africa Debate. The recording will take place on Thurs 20th April and the debate will include the UN envoy for West Africa.

The programme will be available to hear on Friday 21st April at 1900 GMT on the BBC World Service, here:BBC Africa Debate <http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00nb3cn>. Listeners from across the continent can join the discussion by using the hashtag #BBCAfricaDebate on social media.

After more than 20 years under the authoritarian rule of former President Yahya Jammeh, Gambians have high expectations of the new administration. They want a well-performing economy, jobs, good health care and education, and an accountable government that will uphold the constitution.

Many people are also hoping the new government can help stem the large number of young Gambians who every year perilously try to cross the Mediterranean sea in the hope of making a better life in Europe.

The debate will ask: How can Gambia rebuild itself?

Also, Focus on Africa <http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00gbjvb>radio will be presented live from Banjul on Tues 18th April. The programme will hear from ordinary Gambians, government officials and representatives of the private sector.

BBC Africa online <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world/africa> will have special reports on The Gambia in their coverage this week and there will be specially commissioned features on the BBC Africa Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/bbcafrica> and Instagram <https://www.instagram.com/bbcafrica/> accounts. The BBC’s audience is encouraged to get involved in the programmes using the #BBCAfrica hashtag.

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Notes to Editors

For any further information please contact:<Amelia.Fernandez-Grandon@bbc.co.uk>

BBC Africa Debate <http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00nb3cn>is a monthly programme looking at the current issues that matter to Africa and bringing them to a global audience. Recorded on location around Africa and covering a wide range of topics, an invited audience engages robustly with a distinguished international panel.

BBC World Service’s BBC Africa hub brings together the production of multilingual content about the continent on radio, on TV and online on<http://bbcafrica.com>. As it delivers content in English, French, Hausa, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Somali and Kiswahili, BBC Africa ensures a pan-African approach to the output, offering its audiences opportunities to join the global conversation. BBC Africa has teams based in London and across much of sub-Saharan Africa, and has well established production centres in various cities.
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