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AfDB, MoHERST deepen talks on youth skills, health training

Feb 10, 2026, 11:15 AM | Article By: Isatou Ceesay Bah

A high-level delegation from the African Development Bank (AfDB) has held discussions with the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (MoHERST) to review progress on key youth and women empowerment initiatives and explore new areas of collaboration aimed at strengthening skills development and health education in The Gambia.

The visit centred on ongoing interventions under the Vulnerable Youth and Women Support Project (VYOWSP), including the provision of equipment to the newly established Madina Lamin Kanteh Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Centre in Central River Region North and the rehabilitation of the Jullangel Skills Centre in Upper River Region. Both facilities are expected to play a critical role in expanding access to market-relevant skills for young people and women in rural communities.

Discussions also focused on a proposed second phase of VYOWSP, which will include the establishment of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hubs at the two centres to promote creativity, enterprise development, and job creation among graduates.

Beyond skills training, the talks addressed strengthening institutional capacity in medical and health sciences, including the expansion of dentistry programmes. The integration of energy, climate change, and transport-related studies into existing TVET curricula across the University of Science, Engineering and Technology (USET) regional centres was also highlighted as a priority in line with national development needs.

The AfDB delegation and MoHERST further examined the strategic linkage between the construction of the University of The Gambia School of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences at Faraba and the newly built Farato Teaching Hospital. The hospital is expected to provide a modern clinical training environment for medical students, supported by additional dormitories and laboratories planned by MoHERST to enhance practical learning.

The collaboration, officials said, would ensure that medical students complete their clinical rotations in well-equipped facilities, strengthening the quality of training while reducing logistical pressures on the teaching hospital.

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