Gambian musician Demba Conta, who is based in Sweden, is a role model that most Africans, especially Gambians in the diaspora, should emulate.

This was said by President Yahya Jammeh when he received Demba Conta at State House in Banjul on Thursday. Conta told the President that he wants to set up a recording studio and a music school in The Gambia.

He added that his wife, who holds a doctorate in music, and one of his children called Edrissa, who is a computer engineer working for a Microsoft company in Sweden, and another child who is an agronomist, are willing to come and contribute their quota to national socio-economic development.

President Jammeh noted that while there are Africans in the diaspora, who are willing to castigate their own leaders and governments, and even their race, just to please non Africans, "yet we have seen exemplary sons and daughters of Africa, and a Gambian, in particular, who has never forgotten that he is a African, first and foremost a Gambian for that matter".

To buttress his point, the Gambian leader quoted a Gambian proverb, which says "no matter how long a log stays in the water, it cannot turn into a crocodile".

This means no matter how long a black African stays in the white man's land, you can never be accepted as a white man, he further explained.

President Jammeh recalled that one of Conta's songs is directed at educated young Africans and the status quo. Be you an artiste, journalist, president, a teacher or a farmer "we have a very important role to play."

He went on to add that, today Africa is one continent which is providing the bulk of the world's raw materials for the industrialised nations, and wondered "why are we the poorest continent on earth?"

The Gambian leader noted that some of the factors responsible have been the endless wars and divisions in Africa.

Commenting on Conta's declared intention to start a recording studio in The Gambia, President Jammeh informed the musician that he has already bought the most modern, sophisticated world-class studio recording equipment. All that is needed is to get the best studio recording engineers to come and work on the project, "so that you can have the studio set up in three months time".

The President asked Conta to encourage his son to come home and establish his own computer company in The Gambia. Gambians should learn from the Nigerians, he said, noting that NTN is own by Nigerians and is known world-wide. "We could also look at South Africa", he added.

President Jammeh said the Department of State for Communication, Information and Technology (DOSCIT) was established to encourage Gambians to venture into the ICT sector.

He seized the opportunity to invite all Gambians in the diaspora "who have developed such skills or any other skill to come home and work in either the private or public sector, as nation-building is all about self-sacrifice".

Conta's meeting with the President was attended by, among others, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Lamin Kaba Bajo, who commended the musician for playing a fundamental role in promoting Gambian music overseas.