Young people in Banjul have challenged policymakers to fix broken career guidance, inadequate startup funding, and lack of sporting facilities as the National Youth Council (NYC) and ActionAid International – The Gambia (AAITG) rolled out the National Youth Policy Implementation Framework.
The two-day engagement, funded by the UN Peacebuilding Fund under the Youth Promotion Initiative project, is part of a nationwide drive to popularise the framework and roadmap developed by NYC to deliver the goals of the National Youth Policy.
Participants said the policy must reflect real economic realities.
Edi Sillah, a participant warned that poor guidance is pushing students into courses that do not match their interests or abilities.
“How will this framework help young people identify career paths suited to their skills while meeting labour market demands?” he asked.
Fatoumatta Beks also a participant urges that career counselling start before junior to senior secondary transition, so students can understand their strengths early.
“Academic qualifications alone are insufficient. Guidance must reflect the realities of the Gambian economy,” she said.
Beks also took aim at startup support, arguing that D50,000 grants are no longer enough to start sustainable businesses amid rising costs.
She said matching-grant requirements exclude poor youth who cannot provide counterpart funding, and urged government to create markets for local products.
“Why are government institutions buying from outside when Gambian carpenters and entrepreneurs can produce the same goods?” she asked, calling for deliberate patronage of locally-made products.
Another participant, Dodou Janko said Banjul has no adequate football fields for its youth.
“Football attracts many young people but we have no space to play and develop,” he said, urging Banjul City Council to act.
Mahari Cham questioned political decisions that lock youth out of public parks and recreational grounds, and urged NYC to work with curriculum developers to modernise education including digital literacy, music and entertainment to reflect the world youth live in.
Responding to the concerns, NYC Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Ebriama Ndow said the framework was created precisely to measure progress and close gaps identified during the policy’s midterm review.
He acknowledged urban-rural inequality, exclusion of persons with disabilities, and the need for jobs and skills to curb irregular migration.
“Creating employment, supporting entrepreneurship and developing practical skills are critical for young Gambians to build meaningful lives here,” Ndow said.
The Banjul forum is part of nationwide consultations to ensure the Youth Policy delivers on education, employment, entrepreneurship and sports — not just on paper, but in communities.
