Claim. Bakary Badjie, the Minister of Youth and Sports claimed that no single renovation has ever taken place at the Independence Stadium since it was built in 1983.
Verdict: False and Misleading
Full Text
The claim made by Bakary Badjie, the Minister of Youth and Sports that there has not been a single renovation at the Independence Stadium since it was built in 1983 is false and misleading. Evidence indicates that the stadium had actually undergone some renovations in 2010.Speaking at a joint meeting part of different constituents in Bakau on 3rd December, 2025 at the recently concluded nationwide ‘Meet The People Tour’ Bakary Badjie, the Minister of Youth and Sports claimed that there has not been a significant single renovation at the Independence Stadium since it was built by the People’s Republic of China in 1983.
Badjie asserted that since its opening up to date, the stadium which is over 40 years old now is only getting renovations under the current administration.
“The governments that were here liked sports, but did not inject money into sports that’s why this stadium is like this today,” he said.
The remarks were made during a joint meeting attended by hundreds of residents of Bakau, and its surroundings within the Kanifing Municipality (KM).
Minister Badjie outlined the current government’s efforts to improve the stadium to ensure it meets international standards, saying they are investing hundreds of millions of dalasi.
Background
Located in the Coastal Town of Bakau, in the Kanifing Municipality, the Independence Stadium was built by the People’s Republic of China as a gift to the government of the late Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, the first President of The Gambia.
The Stadium was completed in August 1983 and officially inaugurated in December 1984, by President Jawara.
The Independence Stadium remains the country’s only Stadium that hosts international matches involving the Gambia’s National Teams.
However, in 2022 Confederation of African Football (CAF) banned the country from hosting international and continental club matches at the stadium due to the lack of an electronic scoreboard, no fixed seating, a poor quality pitch, and medical facilities as well as inadequate dugouts
This comes following the ban of the Independence Stadium by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for lack to meet the standard requirements due to its poor conditions.
Fact-check.
As the comment of the Minister of Youth and Sports went viral, Info-Checked deems it necessary to fact-check the Youth and Sports Minister’s claim.
The meeting was live-streamed by multiple media outlets including the State Media, Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS).
The live stream has 6.4 thousand views, liked by 104 people, received 14 comments, and was shared 7 times at the time running this fact check. The said comment can be found in minutes 2:45:30 to 2:46:13 of the live stream of the meeting by GRTS dated the 3rd day of December 2025.
Info-Check’s findings revealed that on the 22nd of October 2010, one of the country’s leading Newspapers, The Point reported that the Ministry of Youth and Sports handed over
D17.2M contract for Stadium refurbishment.
According to The Point Newspaper, The money was handed by the Minister of Youth and Sports at the time Hon. Sheriff ML Gomez to Dabanani Electrical Company on the 21st of October 2010 for the refurbishment of the stadium floodlights, scoreboard, and others.
On the 29th of April 2011, the Point Newspaper again reported that: “following its successful major rehabilitation, the Independence Stadium was on 27 April 2011 inaugurated.”
Just like the handing over of the fund, The Point Newspaper reported that the Youth and Sports Minister at the time Hon. Sheriff ML Gomez presided over the inauguration of the stadium.
The evidence revealed that the Independence Stadium had indeed undergone renovation in 2010 under the regime of Former Gambian Dictator Yahya Jammeh.
Conclusion
Based on the findings of Info-Check, the claim made by the Minister of Youth and Sports Hon. Bakary Y. Badjie, that “No single renovation ever takes place at the stadium” since it was built in 1983 is False and Misleading.