The President Adama Barrow has urged the young people to use their skills, networks and resources to build the Gambia We Want and also by extension the Africa We Want.
He was speaking during a two days Youth Connekt Gambia Summit 2019 at Kairaba Beach Hotel in Kololi.
The event organized by NYC is funded by United Nations Development Program, through Entrepreneurship and Private Sector Development Project under the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment (MOTIE) is targeting 200 young people and other partners across the country.
The Summit brings together over 200 young people, policy makers, policy influencers, young innovators as well as entrepreneurs, and development partners to interface and network.
The initiative is meant to accelerate actions to create decent jobs for youths and to support youth entrepreneurship, innovation, leadership and as well as to bridge the gender gap.
President Barrow said:”This unique Pan-African Regional Initiative is quite important and relevant for my Government, as it focuses on very important components of NDP. The ultimate target [of Youth Connekt] is to reduce youth unemployment from 38% to 25% in the medium term.
“I renew my Government’s commitment to creating the enabling environment for youth to strive. However, I call on stakeholders and other partners to translate the current challenges into opportunities in order to achieve our targets,” he said.
He urged the youth to use the Summit to initiate new connections with peers, and learn about what they’re doing.”
Hadrammed Sidibeh, the Minister of Youth and Sports said the summit will provide a platform for the young people to pitch their business ideas thus creating the opportunity for partnership and also attracting investment.
“These actions, initiatives and proposed commitments are indeed timely, since it is coming at a time when youth unemployment has increased from 38% to 41.5 % according to the 2018 Labor Force Survey,” he said.
He then said it is crucial for all Actors and Stakeholders to support and empower our youths in skills development, employment opportunities and education.
He noted that his Ministry and its Satellite Institutions are ready to work with all relevant partners to ensure that these programmes are successfully implemented for the attainment of the Youth Connekt Gambia goals and by extension the NDP priorities.
“In order to achieve the stated goals of the Youth Connekt Gambia and the NDP, we need a well disciplined youth population. I would therefore, advice the youth to be more responsible, committed, and hardworking and make the best use of the available facilities, the provided resources and the conducive environment,” he stated.
Madam Nessie Golakai-Gould, UNDP-The Gambia Resident Representative said that the young people are the present and future of every nation including The Gambia and that their development should be a priority. She assured the youths of her office’s support at all times.
She then said that: “Youth Connekt Gambia will domestic the Youth Connekt Africa goals, aligned to National Development Plan priorities, and SDG to harness the demographic dividend by supporting and promoting skills development, ICT and Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Access to jobs and Finance as well as Awareness creation on irregular migration, and for positive national development, and promotion of citizenship and leadership.”
Dembo Kambi, the Chairman of National Youth Council- the Gambia delivering his welcoming remarks assured the Government of the support of youth in realizing the goals of NDP.
He encouraged the Government to support young people through employment and empowerment.
He reminded the young people to take charge of their destiny themselves and that of the country at large.