By Sulayman Waan
Gambia Youth Chamber of Commerce (GYCC) on Tuesday launched the second edition of National Youth Agribusiness and Tourism Expo aim at creating a platform for young Gambian entrepreneurs to sell their products and services; at GYCC office, Churchill town.
The two week upcoming trade fair would attract young entrepreneurs across the country at the independence stadium to sell their products and services also network with others. It would be organized by startup incubator- Gambia, Global Youth Innovation Network Gambia Charter (GYIN) among others.
Representing the Trade minister, Aboulie Jammeh, deputy permanent secretary at the ministry of Trade, Regional Integration and Employment said young people has being recognizes in the revise policy as ambitious, creative and promising but they face a number of challenges and need to be supported so as to benefit from the opportunities in the country.
“The launching of the second national youth agric and tourism expo is timely and a measure to complement government’s effort in implementing the national development plan,” he said.
Mr. Jammeh said this initiative contain potential opportunities for young entrepreneurs while assured the trade ministry more support to GYCC to ensure effective promotion and empowerment of young entrepreneurs and enterprises in the country.
Lamin Darboe, executive director of NYC said the agric business and tourism expo will create a platform for young entrepreneurs and their enterprise to have an opportunity to network and create linkage with other potential business people.
“GYCC is one of the success stories of the Gambia national youth council. When we (NYC) decided to establish this institution we were hopeful that it would be a self-sustainable platform that would advocate o behalf youth’s businesses.”
“To you had not only proven us right but you continue to be a pay setter in this drive. You don’t only create job but ensure that all actors in the job creators work together,” he told the GYCC officials.
He commended NEDI and other partners supporting GYCC in promoting and empowering Gambian young entrepreneurs while expressed appreciation to the ministry of Trade for continuously using its projects to support youth enterprise and entrepreneurs both with skill and services.
Ismailah Sambou, GYCC Board President said engaging young people into entrepreneurship is not just essential for the youth chamber but also for the future of the local communities, country and the entire world, saying GYCC mission is to create employment and employability in realizing the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.
According him, youth irregular remains constrain, adding between January and June 2019 about 555 migrants who were trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea died, quoting from International Organization for Migration he said recently a migrant detention center in Tajoura, Libya was bombed making 53 people killed and more than 130 injured.
“Seemingly, a Gambian if not part of the dead is within the wounded,” he added.
However, he said GYCC is continuously working harder to create more employment opportunities and creating employability for the youth folk.
Bubacarr Kebbeh, CEO of GYCC said the forthcoming trade fair would take a different shape because this time around GYCC want to champion the coordination of ecosystem in tourism and agribusiness, adding upcoming trade fair will not only focus on youth but it involve women as well.
“The main mandate of GYCC is youth but this year we are trying to have 30% of women to participate in the trade fair that would be coordinated by the women chamber in the Gambia. We really want to have a women pavilion that would cater for fifty women,” he said.
CEO Kebbeh revealed that GYCC has established four regional chapters that would help in coordinating entrepreneurship activities in the rural regions while assured to have a seminar with the region council so as to provide more markets rural youth.
