The Minister of Youth and Sports Bakary Badjie yesterday told participants at the start of this year’s National Youth Conference and Festival at Buffer Zone that the theme for this year’s event ”Enhancing Youth Participation in the Attainment of the Recovery Focus NDP 2023-2027” resonates well with what is happening in the Gambia.” As we gather at this historic place to mark the opening ceremony of the biggest youth gathering, we renew our commitments towards creating a Gambia that is safe for every youth, and one every youth could be proud of.
Today a total number of two thousand delegates are converged here well prepared to make this convergence a meaningful one,” he said.
Badjie said his ministry has worked closely with its satellite institutions to make sure that the youth are engaged meaningfully towards sustaining the peace of the country as well as empowering them.
‘During the previous convergence, I informed this August gathering of the intention of my ministry through the NYSS to roll out a graduate scheme. I am happy to update you all that a promise was made, and a promise was kept as 100 graduates were deployed to various institutions for a six-month internship. It will interest you to note that some of the graduates are already being employed because of this scheme. Just four months ago, the NYSS recruited and trained more than 200 young men and women for a month,” the minister told the youths.
He thanked the National Organising Committee for its great work in oraginsing the event and assured that his ministry and the government will continue to work hand-in-glove with the youths in areas concerning them. ”The resolutions coming out of this meeting are my priority, and we will work with all stakeholders to make sure that they are implemented,” he assured delegates. Minister Badjie said this year’s event is maintaining the principle of leaving no one behind and has accordingly adopted a number of thematic areas including employment, education, entrepreneurship, youth leadership and political participation, ICT, migration, gender violence, sexual and reproductive health (SRH), HIV, youth in creative industry, tourism and culture, environment, climate change and biodiversity. “The conference delegates will have a critical discussion on these areas and come up with attainable resolutions which will be handed to the stakeholders for onward action,” he said.
