The National Youth Council (NYC), under the Ministry of Youth and Sports, in partnership with ActionAid International – The Gambia (AAITG), Tuesday engaged over 240 young people to popularise the National Youth Policy implementation framework.
The day-long forum held at the Tallinding Youth Centre and Fagi Rex Nursery School brought together youths from across the Kanifing Municipality.
The engagement created a platform for young people to understand the new youth policy, share views and discuss priorities and challenges affecting Gambian youth.
According to organisers, the initiative is not simply about increasing youth programmes, but about creating an enabling environment where every young Gambian — regardless of gender, disability, income level or geographical location — has a realistic pathway from education and skills development to employment, wellbeing, participation and a productive future.
Speaking at the forum, Saikou Bah, Project Manager at ActionAid, said the partnership with NYC is aimed at ensuring young people are meaningfully involved in discussions and decisions concerning their future.
“The importance of this we cannot overemphasise. That is why ActionAid deems it necessary to work with the National Youth Council to support this rollout process. As we are here today, we have another team in the southern bank starting from Basse coming down. We are doing over 25 sessions across the country, from Basse to KMC to Banjul. ActionAid sees it as very necessary that young people need to know what is in the policy,” Bah said.
He said 140 young people took part in the Kanifing leg of the engagement, and urged participants to disseminate the information in their communities.
“For us at ActionAid, young people are our priority. This year alone we have spent more than D5 million on youth convergence, mostly in the provinces. Our operations are mainly in Niamina and Upper Niumi, but now we are stretching across the country. That is why we are supporting this rollout,” he added.
He called on youth to listen attentively, contribute and ask critical questions.
Jim Lowe, Youth Coordinator at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, said the engagement is designed to ensure young people understand the policy and can actively contribute to its implementation.
Participants reflected on what successful youth development should look like in the coming years — including improved access to education and skills training, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, better wellbeing, greater participation in decision-making and increased support for vulnerable and marginalised youth.
The forum forms part of broader efforts by the NYC and its partners to popularise the new youth policy and ensure young people are informed, consulted and actively involved in shaping youth development in The Gambia.