[Gambia] Youth Delegates Brainstorm On Poverty, Unemployment

from All Africa

The Daily Observer (Banjul)

Ebrima Jaw Manneh

Youth delegates to the second edition of the Ecowas Youth Forum, yesterday started brainstorming on their analysis of the situation of striking poverty and unemployment of the youth in the sub-region.

This was preceeded by a string of country presentations by the member states, on the role of the youth in the implementation on national strategic plan on poverty alleviation, as well as a presentation on the creation of employment opportunities in the sub-region by Dior Diop, Permanent -Secretary at the Senegalese Ministry of Youth.

Shortly after the presentations, delegates were split into two working Commissions.

The first Commission has been looking into the handicaps to youth capacity building and employment, alongside measures taken to address them.

This Commission is also tasked to develop proposals for solutions and actions to be implemented by youth, states, and Ecowas into to tackle youth capacity needs and unemployment.. Members of the Commission will then recommend priority actions and strategies for the implementation of the proposals.

Members of the second Commission have started making analysis of the situation of youth entrepreneurship. Besides the task to make contacts with financial institutions for the development of companies and youth entrepreneurship in the sub-region, the Commission is expected to make proposals and priority actions, as well as recommendations in order to improve the current situation of youth entrepreneurship and business development.

Like the first Commission, members of the second Commission have started brainstorming on the handicaps, measures, and map out proposals, priority actions and strategies for implementation.

Both Commissions will then present report to the Plenary Session of the ongoing five-day long Ecowas/ Gambia-government-backed sub-regional youth forum.