By: Sulayman Waan
The National Youth Council (NYC) on Saturday ended three day urban thinker’s forum; held at Paradise Suite Hotel on July 11- 13; funded by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
This activity aimed at Involving youth to Identify, assess and monitor disaster risks and enhance early warning, to plan and develop strategies with local government councils to address defies of urban centres. It also uses knowledge, innovation and education to build a culture of safety and resilience at all levels.
The three day forum brought together 85 participants from the urban settlements includes Banjul, Kanifing, Brikama, Farafenni, Basse, Soma, Janjanbureh, Bansang and Kerewan.
In her opening remark, Fatou Gibba, director of governance for the ministry of Land Regional Government and Religious Affairs said the forum is great towards building a nation that has the capacity of resilient to climate change and related disasters.
She recalled that in 2016 the Gambia participated in adopting new urban agenda in Kito, Equador that aimed to guide feathers of urban development in an accelerating and increasing urbanizing world as well accelerate the achievement of sustainable development goal (SDG).
Ms Gibba said building capacity is the most important mechanism to address challenges of urbanization, adding such a forum empowers people to overcome defies affecting the masses in urban centres.
However, she thanked UNDP for financing the programme while saying her ministry is satisfied with NYC for organizing the conference where youth think and discuss urbanization and bringing solution to address it challenges.
Lamin Darboe, executive director for NYC described the forum as instrumental in enabling the participants to work with the youth council and its partners to ensure the best interest of the urban dwellers, saying “the forum is a platform were the youth are expected to mobilize smart and innovative ideas from young innovative and critical minds in curbing these existences in the country.”
“Urbanization is increasingly becoming challenge in the country. And without a proper preparation with innovative programme, processing and tools we might find ourselves in problem in the future,” he said.
“Therefore, the youth council deems it essential to converged young people across the state to look how to resolve some urban problems,” he said.
The NYC boss illumed that when come to urban matters the councils does not only consider the urban town alone but even the regional growth centre such as Farafenni, Soma are considered as they are attracting good number of people.
He explained that there are numerous challenges in the urban centres citing drainage systems, road networks, market, livelihood and among others distressing matters saying these challenges can’t be left with central and local government alone but Gambian with innovate ides need to work with the council so as to put measures in place to work with partners in addressing the challenges.
“Is our responsibility to raise awareness to the masses and hold duty bearers accountable but also is our responsibility as citizens to take action so as to address these challenges,” he said.
Representing the minister of Finance, Aboulie Nyass, planner from MOFEA said government is looking forward for youth participation in the national development plan (NDP) to ensure its effective implementation as youth work engagement is a critical area of development that requires consistent and focus intervention.
“Government didn’t make the NDP alone rather series of consultation was made across the state including the private sector and NGOs.”
“There has being participatory and inclusive in the process of reviewing, formulating and analyzing the NDP. Many stakeholders had being given the opportunity to partake effectively in the implementation,” he said.
At the national level various thematic working groups had being established comprising the government, private sector, NGO, CSO and government partners. There had being several consultations at the level of cabinet and permanent secretaries. In the decentralized level community consultations was held across the districts, he noted.
He reminded that the NDP means to bring good governance, accountability and economic transformation but said the top priorities are to ensure human rights, good governance and security sector reform, economic management, youth empowerment among other key areas.
