 He was educated locally and at Nungua Secondary School, near Accra, Ghana from 1961 to 1963, before returning to The Gambia to attend Yundum College from 1964 to 1966.After working as a school teacher in various primary and secondary schools until 1972, he enrolled at the University of Grenoble from 1973 to 1978, obtaining undergraduate and master's degrees in linguistics.He returned to France again to further his study in 1983.