By Olimatou Coker
The National Enterprise Development Initiative (NEDI) has rolled out five-day training for 30 entrepreneurs within the Kanifing Municipality. The training commenced on Saturday October 17, 2020 at NaNA Conference Hall at Kanifing.
The five-day training is expected to strength participants’ capacities and improve their business ideas.
Speaking at the opening session of the training, Mr. Abas Bah, General Manager, NEDI said the training intends to expose participants into areas like business plan development, financial management, negotiation, customer management and market research.
He indicated that NEDI has been training young people in other parts of the country on entreprenship and this time, they thought it prudent to organise a training for the first time for young people residing in the Kanifing Municipality.
“NEDI yields for entrepreneurs who are highly resourced and highly capacitised to run their own businesses effectively.”
The government of the Gambia has created the enabling environment for any youth entrepreneur for their business and contribute their quota towards national development, the NEDI General Manager Mr. Bah told participants.
He also harped on attitudinal change to move businesses further in the country. He promised participants that loans are already available and he would encourage participants to apply for the loans to grow their businesses.
“NEDI offices are open to you all anytime to guide and help you in your business entrepreauship needs. Prepare to be successful, we will be there to support you in your business journey,” he said.
Mr. Sutay Jawo, Deputy Permanent Secretary Technical, Ministry of Youth and Sports who represented the Minister, said the government has made every opportunity available to youth, specifically in the business sector.
He indicated that the staff of NEDI will continue to mentor and support the youth in their business development crusade.
“The Gambia needs to do a lot to compete with other countries, especially in the business front and the young people have a part to play in this journey,” he stated.
“You can only live a dignified life if you can do it for yourself. Honestly, we can do this through business. Let us diversify our businesses and it can work.”
The Ministry of Youth and Sports, he added, has an ‘open door policy’ for young people.
Marcel Mendy, Executive Director, National Sports Council said the government is investing in such trainings in order to better the future of the country. He added that the future of this country solely lies in the hands of the young people, noting that prosperity will hold the young people responsible.
He called on the participants to use the training to change lives and they (participants) have to change themselves for good and contribute to societal development.
In his speech, Mr. Musa Saidy, Finance and Administrative Manager of NEDI told participants that the objective of NEDI is to empower youths to be active participants in the economic front of the country.
Mr. Saidy explained that employment creation is a cause that ought to be championed by all and sundry, stating that the government of the Gambia alone cannot create employment for all thus the need for young people to partake in the business sector.
He also called on the participants to always partner and network among themselves to share business plans and ideas in order to boast their businesses.
Also speaking, Isatou Secka, the chairperson of KM Youth committee said the training is quite timely and hopes that it will help the participants to improve their business idea development and further strength their existing businesses to grow.
The personnel of NEDI are the lead facilitators of the training sessions together with other partners.
