By Sulayman Waan
National Youth Council (NYC) on Thursday launched a new program dubbed-the Gambia Programme of Action on Youth opened at Kairaba Beach Hotel in Kololi.
The UNFPA funded program came as a result of the youth’s resolution that was made during the last National Youth Conference and Festival (NaYConF) in Basse.
And it aim at implementing that resolution. This programme also helps government in delivering the country’s National Development Plan
Representing the minister of Youth and Sport, Dembo Kambi, chairman of NYC described the ceremony as inspirational and symbolic, saying “this document will create a productive youth community that is essential in peace building, peace consolidation and increase youth participation indecision making process.”
“As a ministry we are aware that an engagement youth community is not only a productive community but it’s also a peaceful constituent at this moment of our transitional justice process,” he added.
According to him, GPAY is in ally with the NDP because it’s the overall development guides that all sectoral and strategies should growth inspiration from.
Meanwhile, he said since the state doesn’t exist and operate in isolation to regional and international bodies; therefore, this document attracts motivation from the AU Roadmap on Harnessing the Demographic dividend through investment in youth.
Mr Kambi affirmed that the document is a vital instrument for the youth council and ministry because it would serve as a guide to attain the development of young persons.
Executive Director of NYC, Lamin Darboe described the programme “a direct respond to the concern of youth on how NYC will ensure the resolutions made during the biannual youth and conference and festival are implemented.”
The council was tasked by the youth during the last NaYConF to formulate the resolutions to a Programme that would ally systematically with the National Development Plan and other international development frameworks like African Union Roadmap on Youth.
Meanwhile, Mr Darboe said after that ceremony his council developed a document to ensure they have a framework that would guide the implementation of the resolutions as well using it to operate coming conferences and festival appropriately.
He said: “NYC can’t implement the programme to expectation alone; so, noting it has to rely on government institutions, expertise and donor so as to execute the programme.”
Kunle Adeniyi, UNFPA country representative expressed delight on the formulation of the document due to its holistic focused on the interest of the youth, noting development can’t place in the absent of young people.
“There is need to invest on youth’s economic empowerment and entrepreneurship to ensure their development. It is important to empower the youth on education and other key thematic areas so as to help them to attain their goals in the future,” he said.
