Unemployment among young people in The Gambia remains a significant challenge, according to the 2018 Labour Force Survey conducted by the Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GBOS). The youth unemployment rate has increased to over 41.5% of the population as a majority of the youth between 15 and 35 years are unemployed.
The lack of job opportunities among young people in the country poses a lot of security threat and is among the contributing factors leading many youths of the country to embark on the dangerous route to Europe in search for greener pastures.
The government, through the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Trade and in partnership with the private sector, should therefore work together to ensure that they create a lot of opportunities for young people in the country. What the country needs at the moment is industrialization with large, medium and small-scale companies that have the potential to employ many Gambians. The decentralisation of facilities that are within the Greater Banjul Area to the rural areas is also crucial.
Youth unemployment can lead to social exclusion and unrest. Investing in decent job creation however, as well as in education and training opportunities for the youth, will help them find their place and contribute to more prosperous and stable societies.
The government should therefore also focus on building skills centres in the rural parts of the country. This will not only help in mitigating the urge of the youth to embark on irregular migration, but will also reduce the youth urban migration in search for better living.
Youth play a significant role in the socio-economic development of the country, but lack of job opportunities in the land forces them to use or venture the ‘back-away’ to Europe to seek greener pastures in order to improve their living conditions. It as well forces others to involve in illegal and dangerous activities doing other illegal means.