By Ousman Saidykhan
The conference component of the National Youth Conference and Festival (NAYCONF) opened this morning, with over 200 delegates ready to participate in thematic sessions throughout the week.
The participants, all youth from all regions of the country, wore white T-shirts and sat in chairs covered with white clothes before the youth minister declared the conference open.
“The inclusion and participation of youth are central to the development of this country and realizing the strategic goals and priorities of this country set by the government of The Gambia to target its population,” said Bakary Y. Badjie, the minister of youth and sports.
“We hope that you will not just see the NAYCONF as an activity to just party and move on but as an activity that gives every young person a platform to discuss issues that affect your community, issues that affect your region, as well as those that affect the entire the whole country, and come up with concrete resolutions that can be adopted by all of us, by the government, and the people, to make changed that are necessary for our development,” he added.
Formerly known as “Youth Week,” NAYCONF is the largest youth convergence in the Gambia. Every two years, over 2,000 young people across the country come together under a specific theme for activities and discussions on issues affecting them.
This year’s NAYCONF theme is “enhancing youth participation in attaining the Recovery-Focused National Development Plan – (RE-NDP).”
“This national development blueprint envisions a Gambia where not just the young people, but every sector will thrive to ensure the sustainable development for our country as all citizens wish,” Minister Badjie said.
“As a ministry, we want to assure all of you that we would always be willing to listen to you, and while we lead, we will sometimes take the back seat to allow you to make the decisions that you expect us to make.”
The delegates’ thematic areas of discussion include employment, education, and entrepreneurship; youth migration management, peace, security, and justice; youth leadership and political participation; sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV); sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR); HIV and AIDS, and youth in the creative industry.
“The… conference delegates will be divided into these different thematic classes to converse, engage, and come up with actionable solutions and calls to action at the end of the conference,” said Modou Lamin Davis, chair of the conference sub-committee.
The deputy mayor of KMC said Kanifing Municipality is committed to delivering what she called “an extraordinary experience” for all participants. “…our council has aligned its priorities to actively support the inclusion and empowerment of young people in achieving the National Development Plan,” said Binta Jannah.
The National Youth Council (NYC) chair, Ida Jatta, underscored the importance of youth participation in decision-making processes and encouraged the delegates to make the most of the sessions.
“We believe that without the involvement of young people in decision-making on issues that affect them, there will be no progress,” the NYC chair said.
The delegates are expected to draft resolutions that will be “forwarded to NYC for onward transmission to the government and other relevant partners.”
