By Olimatou Coker
Fabba Jammeh, director of employment at the trade ministry, has urged government to invest in youths to ensure they become responsible and productive citizens so their choices are in line with national development.
Director Jammeh made these remarks Monday during the launching of four documents by International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment. The documents are the labour migration strategy and action plan, ethical recruitment guidelines and pre-departure training manual. The launching took place at Sunset beach hotel.
The labour migration strategy, developed with the support from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), serves as a blueprint to guide The Gambia to upload its commitment to international, regional and national instruments governing labour migration.
The documents will also complement the efforts of the US government funded project “supporting national efforts to combat trafficking in persons” that has since seen the Gambia improve on its tier ranking from 3 lowest (in 2019) to tier 2 (in 2022) in the annual US tip report.
Continuing his address, Mr Jammeh disclosed that the Gambia is a youthful population that requires government’s attention to ensure that they see their full participation in economic development.
Sharon L. Cromer, US Ambassdor to The Gambia, said the 4 documents launched will provide the Gambian government with a holistic blueprint and a comprehensive roadmap to guide and enhance migration management efforts in the years to come.
Stephen Matete, programe coordinator, Migration Management at IOM, said the documents will contribute towards improving the labour migration governance in the country for the benefit of all labour migrants.
“Since IOM established its full presence in The Gambia in 2017, it has been working closely with the Government of The Gambia (GoTG) to promote a safe, orderly, and regular migration by putting in place policy and structural mechanisms that will ensure a well-managed migration in The Gambia,” Matete said.
Baboucar Ousmaila Joof, the trade minister, encouraged the IOM to look beyond the launching of these invaluable instruments towards the implementation process both in terms of institutional arrangements and human capacity building.
