From Nurse to Fish Farmer, Amadou Camara Wants to Build a Future for Youths

Written by: Dawda Baldeh

What began as a nursing career has taken Amadou Camara, a Bansang-born Gambian, into entrepreneurship and fish farming, a sector he believes could create jobs for young people and contribute to food production in The Gambia.

Camara, a nurse by profession, first ventured into entrepreneurship through clay-brick production, where he says he produced about 500,000 bricks and created opportunities for several young people.

Today, his focus is fish farming, a sector he believes many young Gambians have overlooked.

Camara said the declining availability of fish in local markets and pressure on the country’s rivers and seas led him to look for an alternative rather than simply complain.

“Before I sit around and complain, I looked for a solution where we can meet the demand of the country,” he said.

He began fish farming about two years ago and says the experience has changed his view of the sector.

“Fish farming can change your life. Fish farming can bring food sufficiency in the country, and you can also contribute to the country’s development,” Camara said.

He also rejects the belief that fish farming is only for experts.

“Being an expert does not only mean that you have to go to school, sit in a class and be taught,” he said. “If you have an interest in something, you become an expert.”

However, Camara says fish farming in The Gambia faces challenges, particularly limited access to fingerlings and specialised fish feed. He believes greater investment in these areas could help the sector grow.

Camara started with 200 catfish and says none died during more than a year of production. He said the fish eventually began reproducing and that he was also able to sell fish within his community.

“That is a big success,” he said.

Camara is now calling for greater government and private-sector investment in fish farming, arguing that expansion of the sector could create employment opportunities.

“If the government gives me the opportunity to support youths and build fishponds in the country, that will help boost the economy and reduce unemployment,” he said.

He also believes there is potential for Gambian fish farmers to sell beyond the country, pointing to demand in neighbouring countries.

For young Gambians, Camara has a simple message: “Before we complain, let’s look for solutions so that we can contribute to the national development of this country.”