Boris Johnson has said the UK is ready to help The Gambia improve its education system and infrastructure as well as boost tourism.

The Foreign Secretary has visited the West African nation, which he said was having an "extraordinary moment" following the "new start" under President Adama Barrow.

Mr Johnson said he had "some great conversations" with Mr Barrow, who has "fantastic ideas for taking this country forward".

The former Argos security guard defeated hardline ruler Yahya Jammeh in a December election, but Mr Jammeh clung to power, saying there had been irregularities in the poll.

Image: Adama Barrow and Boris Johnson meet in the Gambia

Troops from other West African countries prepared to cross the border to force him to cede power and Britons in the country were warned to get out amid safety concerns.


After a lengthy stalemate, Mr Jammeh finally went into exile and Mr Barrow returned from Senegal, where he had taken refuge, and was sworn in as president last month.

President of the Gambia: 'Britain will be our number one partner

Mr Johnson said the new Gambian administration "got rid of a guy who was really holding things up and they want to take the country forward".

In January, Mr Barrow told Sky News he considered the UK to be his country's number one trading partner.

Fantastic trip to The Gambia - thank you for the warm welcome. On to Ghana! pic.twitter.com/oxzHmj3KxT — Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) 14 February 2017

He said: "There is a strong tie with Britain and Gambia if you recall history.

"They colonised Gambia and we are part of the Commonwealth and we will return to the Commonwealth again.

"Any aspects that's going on in Gambia, Britain will be our number one partner in terms of trade, in terms of democracy, in terms of good governance. They will be our partners."

Meanwhile, the Gambia is to rejoin the Commonwealth within months - after four years outside the group of 52 states.

Millions missing as Jammeh leaves the Gambia

The Gambian government withdrew in 2013 under Mr Jammeh, who called it a "neo-colonial institution".

But Mr Barrow, who lived in Britain for three years when he was younger, has said he wants to rekindle ties.

Mr Johnson said: "That is a wonderful thing for us in the Commonwealth and a great thing for the Gambia.

"I talked about that to the secretary general of the Commonwealth (Patricia Scotland) and she is determined to speed it up and get it done as soon as possible."

Mr Jammeh, who had been in power for 22 years, has been accused of emptying the country's banks of 500m Gambian dalasis (£9.2m) in the last two weeks of his reign.