By: Kebba AF Touray& Makutu Manneh
The 13th Edition of the National Youth Conference and Festival dubbed NaYCONF, was yesterday 15th January 2020, officially launched at the Independence Stadium in Bakau.
Dembo Kambi National Youth Council (NYC) chairman said the youth festival has a budget of D7 million targeting over 2000 young people across the country.
He said the convergence aims to provide a venue for the young people, discuss issues affecting them, and map out means and actionable programs in attaining the Gambia they want.
Kambi said: “The event provides a platform to showcase their talents in various academic, sporting and cultural events to serve as a spring board to career pathways and addressing high rate of youth unemployment”.
“We will provide the youths with accommodation, feeding, logistics and other means of support to participate in the programme for one week,” he said.
Deputy Mayor of Banjul, Omar Touray, expressed delight for being the host of this year’s youth convergence and stressed that they will make sure that the event becomes a success.
He commends the government for organising such important event for the youths and continues to say that every developing country must work with the youths.
Hadrammeh Sidbeh, Youth and Sports Minister, in his official inaugural speech, said the youths are the treasure of any meaningful country, therefore their meaningful engagement and involvement are pivotal in national development and policy directions, on our collective, social and economic advances.
He said the last NaYCONF held in Basse, URR gave birth to Gambia Program of Action, which is expected to be a guiding framework for upcoming and subsequent NaYCONF events.
He explicated: “NaYCONF is a biennial event (formerly youth week) and is meant to bring young people from all over the country and beyond to share their experience and dilate on issues that affect their lives”.
Minister Drammeh while assuring the Youth Council of his support, towards the successful hosting of the event, called on the Mayoress of Banjul and Banjulians to work towards making 2020 NaYCONF a memorable one.
