Nepedia
Back to Discover
Advanced Reader
📖

Adama Barrow

society Maturity 11-13 politics Next article →

This article covers sensitive topics: politics. Parents can manage visibility in Parental Controls.

Adama Barrow is a prominent Gambian politician and real estate developer. He has served as the third president of The Gambia since 2017. Barrow is also the leader of the National People's Party (NPP). He has headed this party since its creation in 2019.

52nd Independence Anniversary Celebrations and Inauguration of His Excellency Mr. Adama Barrow President of the Republic of The Gambia Saturday 18th February 2017
52nd Independence Anniversary Celebrations and Inauguration of His Excellency Mr. Adama Barrow President of the Republic of The Gambia Saturday 18th February 2017

Barrow was born on 15 February 1965 in Mankamang Kunda. This is a small village in the Jimara district. His father, Mamudu Barrow, was Mandinka. His mother, Kaddijatou Jallow, was from the Fullah tribe. He attended several schools, including Crab Island Secondary School. He also studied at the Muslim High School on a scholarship.

Before entering politics, Barrow built a career in business. He worked as a sales manager for Alhagie Musa Njie & Sons. This is a Gambian energy company. In the early 2000s, he moved to London. There, he studied for real estate qualifications. He worked 15 hours a day as a security supervisor at an Argos store. This job helped finance his education. After returning to The Gambia in 2006, he founded Majum Real Estate. He served as its CEO until 2016.

Barrow's path to the presidency began with the United Democratic Party (UDP). He served as the party's treasurer. In September 2016, he became the party leader. This happened after the previous leader was jailed. Barrow then became the candidate for Coalition 2016. This was a group of seven opposition parties. He chose to run as an independent with their support.

52nd Independence Anniversary Celebrations and Inauguration of His Excellency Mr. Adama Barrow President of the Republic of The Gambia
52nd Independence Anniversary Celebrations and Inauguration of His Excellency Mr. Adama Barrow President of the Republic of The Gambia

The 2016 presidential election was a major turning point. Barrow won with 43.34% of the vote. The long-time leader, Yahya Jammeh, received 39.6%. A third candidate, Mama Kandeh, received 17.1%. Jammeh initially accepted the result. Later, he rejected it and declared a state of emergency. This forced Barrow to flee to neighboring Senegal for safety.

GAM Order of the Republic of the Gambia ribbon
GAM Order of the Republic of the Gambia ribbon

A military intervention helped resolve the crisis. Forces from Senegal, Nigeria, and Ghana entered The Gambia. This was an ECOWAS military action. It included land, sea, and air forces. The intervention met only minor clashes near Kanilai. Jammeh left for exile on 21 January 2017. Barrow was inaugurated at the Gambian embassy in Senegal on 19 January 2017. He returned home on 26 January. He was officially sworn in at Independence Stadium on 18 February 2017.

National Order of Merit - Grand Cross (Guinea)
National Order of Merit - Grand Cross (Guinea)

As president, Barrow introduced many domestic reforms. He changed the country's name back to the Republic of The Gambia. He also worked to restore membership in the Commonwealth of Nations. Barrow ordered the release of 171 prisoners from Mile 2 Prison. He also signed a treaty to abolish the death penalty in September 2017. He restructured the intelligence agency. It was renamed the State Intelligence Services (SIS). This was done to separate it from the previous regime.

Medalha Amílcar Cabral
Medalha Amílcar Cabral

Barrow has also been recognized for his leadership in infrastructure. In 2019, he won the Africa Road Builders Babacar Ndiaye Trophy. This award was for his work on the Senegambia Bridge. This project is known as The Great Builder Super Prize. In November 2021, Barrow announced his candidacy for the next election. He was successfully re-elected to a second term. His presidency continues to shape the political landscape of The Gambia.

526 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (8)
File:52nd Independence Anniversary Celebrations and Inauguration of His Excellency Mr. Adama Barrow President of the Republic of The Gambia Saturday 18th February 2017.jpg
52nd Independence Anniversary...
File:52nd Independence Anniversary Celebrations and Inauguration of His Excellency Mr. Adama Barrow President of the Republic of The Gambia Saturday 18th February 2017 1.jpg
52nd Independence Anniversary...
File:52nd Independence Anniversary Celebrations and Inauguration of His Excellency Mr. Adama Barrow President of the Republic of The Gambia.jpg
52nd Independence Anniversary...
File:GAM Order of the Republic of the Gambia ribbon.svg
GAM Order of the Republic of the Gambia ribbon.svg
File:National Order of Merit - Grand Cross (Guinea).png
National Order of Merit - Grand Cross (Guinea).png
File:Medalha_Amílcar_Cabral.svg
Medalha_Amílcar_Cabral.svg
File:Order of the Pioneers of Liberia - ribbon bar.png
Order of the Pioneers of Liberia - ribbon bar.png
File:Order of Merit for Defence - Knight (Brazil) - ribbon bar.png
Order of Merit for Defence - Knight...
More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.