Addressing the gathering, President Adama Barrow said skills development is at the center of national transformation.
“Convinced by global evidence, and the reality on the ground. My government's strongly believes that the future of the Gambia depends slightly when you scroll, mix and quality of skills. Knowledge, and opportunities available to our young team,” the President stated.
Representing the World Bank Group, the World Bank Resident Representative Franklin Mutahakana commended government leadership and stressed that outcomes matter more than numbers.
“It's a distinct owner to join you today for the 2nd award ceremony of the skills, innovation, and entrepreneurship fund under the Gambia resilience, inclusion, skills, and equity projects. popularly known as the Rice Project,” the Representative said.
On measuring impact, the Bank official urged focus on employment, not just completion rates.
“Completion, however, is not the end of the journey. The real question is not only how many participants complete a training, but whether that training was really advanced, of sufficient quality, and whether it helped, young people move into employment or self-employment.”
Speaking on behalf of beneficiaries, Mathew Y. Badjie of the Gambia Tourism and Hospitality Institute thanked government and partners for the support.
“It is with profound humility and deep gratitude that I stand here before you today to offer a few closing remarks on behalf of the beneficiaries of the skills, innovation, and entrepreneurship products. In abbreviation, the SIE,” Baji said.
He said the investment is already changing lives and called it a commitment to the country’s future.
“On behalf of my fellow beneficiaries, I wish to express our sincere half appreciation to the government of the Gambia, the World Bank, and to all those who work tirelessly behind the SIE project, your investment in us is an investment in the future of our nation.”
Officials noted that Window 1 will support 25 institutions for institutional improvement, while Window 2 will fund 18 institutions to train young people and women in market-relevant programs. The President also announced plans to launch Window 3 to support the establishment of 75,000 businesses.
The ceremony ended with appreciation to the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology and the SIE Project Coordination Unit.
