In the past few days, there has been a lot of debate about the agreement between the government of The Gambia and the Kingdom of Spain to send migrant workers there. Many observers have complained that it is a sign of failure of the government to create employment opportunities for its citizens.
However, there are many others who see this as one of the efforts of the government to give meaningful employment to the citizens. They argue that this is just one of the methods that government is using to give her citizens something to do to improve their livelihoods.
According to its proponents, entering into an agreement of this kind is common between nations as it is well-known that no government can provide employment for all the citizens in a country. They say that there is hardly any country that has one hundred percent employment rate and therefore, this agreement is one of the ways in which the government is reducing unemployment in The Gambia.
Both camps may have some points in the final analysis. At the Labour Department recently, thousands of young people – both male and female – were observed struggling to collect forms in order to apply and be part of those who will go on to Spain to work. Many say that some of these people are simply trying to escape the harsh realities of the economic condition in the country.
Whatever the case, the government of The Gambia has a huge task in making sure that there are more job opportunities for the young people of the country. No country can depend on outsiders to develop it. Therefore, every country should endeavour to provide a conducive environment for its youths as they are the ones who develop a country.
If the youths are provided with the ability to succeed in their own country, it is very likely that only a few of them would venture to leave the country. The events in the United States of America since the coming to power of Donald Trump should teach all countries to work towards self-reliance. African nations must look inward to ensure that their problems are resolved and the lives of their citizens are improved.
The minister of trade and employment is undoubtedly a capable man, fit for purpose. If there is a Gambian who can deliver in that ministry, especially with regard to formulating policies for creating employment for young people in our country, he is the one. But to achieve his vision, he must get the support of his colleagues in cabinet since youth employment is a cross-cutting matter. They youths are not just the future leaders of tomorrow but they provide the backbone on which The Gambia of today is being built. Therefore, the matter of youth employment should be a topmost priority for the government.
