#Article (Archive)

Youth Empowerment Is Critical

Oct 23, 2009, 3:03 PM

(Thursday 22nd October 2009 Issue)

The move by the National Enterprise Development Initiative (NEDI) to train the country?s young people on business enterprise development is a step in the right direction.

The five-day training, aimed at providing young people with skills and to be self-marketable, is indeed a commendable move.

The training, which brought together participants from different parts of the country, with funding from GAMJOB, had given it national character.

We commended the organisers for their foresight in selecting youths from diverse backgrounds.

Addressing the participants, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Youths and Sports, Mambanjick Njie advised the trainees to make the best use of the opportunities available to them.

PS Njie further advised them to pay their loans on time and not disappoint their guarantors when it comes to payment.

The Permanent Secretary has indeed hit the nail on the head. As young people, you are the future leaders and must make the best use of any opportunity available to you.

If you pay the loans on time it will no doubt give other young people the opportunity to also benefit from the package.  

He also advised them to be honest, attentive to their customers and not spoil their business for egoistic interest. This is also true, as prospective businessmen and women you must put your customers first before anything else.

According to PS Njie, National Enterprise Development Initiative (NEDI) was established to help people. We hope the initiative will continue to live up to expectations of the initiators and all those supporting it.

Our commendations go to all those supporting NEDI, such as The Gambia government, the United Nation?s Development Programme (UNDP) and some other donors like Spanish government for creating such a great opportunity for youths.

We encourage the beneficiary youths to be mindful and make the optimum use of the capital.