Three ex-corps members of the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSS) and three National Youth Council (NYC) nominees left Banjul on 19th September 2012 to attend a month-long training in Agriculture-Agro-Food Business in the Republic of Benin.
The ex-corps members include Mensah Goswel, Nyima Baldeh, Adam Jarju and the NYC nominees are Awa Sambou, Gilbert Jassey and Bakary Jarju.
According to a press release issued by the NYSS, the training course was organized by the ECOWAS Commission Youth and Sports Development Centre and brings together 90 young people from the sub-region, from 19th September to 19th October 2012 at the Songhai Centre Porto-Novo in Benin.
The training course is aimed at contributing to the attainment of the ECOWAS Vision 2020 of moving from “ECOWAS of states to an ECOWAS of people”.
It further added that the training also aims at building capacities of entrepreneurs, increasing the employability of ECOWAS youths and contributing to the reduction of youth unemployment.
“It will concentrate on Agriculture-Agro-Food Business and drafting of business plans, among others,” the release added.
Meanwhile, addressing the team before their departure, the deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry of Youth and Sports responsible for youths, Musa Mbye, urged them to perform up to expectations and represent the good image of The Gambia.
He advised them to be good ambassadors while in Benin by taking the training course seriously, so that they maintain or even set a record higher than their predecessors, who had excelled in the previous training courses.
Mr Mbye further advised the team to demonstrate a high sense of maturity, and also told them that their selection was based on merit and not patronage.
The executive director of NYSS, Nuha Y. Jammeh, expressed similar remarks and urged them to present a report upon completion of the training course with their certificates attached for the records.
