By Mariam Williams
The sixth batch of 38 students of the Songhai Gambia Initiative (SGI) in Baddibou Chamen, North Bank Region, recently graduated following their successful completion of a one-year training course in agriculture at Songhai Agricultural Training Centre.
The SGI was founded in 2015 and the project is being implemented by the Gambia’s Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS).
Speaking at the ceremony held at the project site in Chamen, Minister Hadrammeh Sidibeh of the MoYS said the project is designed to tackle the growing youth unemployment and increasing poverty among rural populations of the Gambia.
The Songhai Development Model-Gambia is to create rural cities {Green Rural City} to stem rural migration through an integrated agriculture linked to industrialization and service provision, thereby making farming a viable proposition for youth, creating jobs and sustaining livelihood, as indicated by him.
The Minister argued: “The purpose of establishing National Enterprise Development Initiative (NEDI) was to provide the requisite support to the youth through enterprise development and also provide access to finance, as a means of sustainable employment creation and better livelihood”.
He averred that the project has trained over 200 youth since its inception, adding that in 2020, the gender gap is being closed by graduating 16 females and 22 males; and that the number of students has increased from 40 to 80 (40 males and females) for this 2020 batch. Sidibeh said it’s important to highlight that additional student dormitories are funded by the MRC Holland Foundation through the help of UNDP.
The MoYS chief maintained that his Ministry has created a lot of initiatives in order to fight food insecurities, environmental degradation and youth unemployment.
The Director General of Department of Agriculture (DoA), Dr. Saikou E. Sanyang told the audience that agriculture still remains the driving force of economic growth in the Gambia, contributing about 34 % of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He stressed the need to reflect on the crucial roles of institutions in supporting government agenda to ensure that food is available, accessible in quantity and quality to everyone in the Gambia.
To this end, Dr. Sanyang said, government intends to transform the above potentials into sustained agricultural growth. He urged the graduates to be ready to serve the community by utilising the knowledge acquired and help other farmers within the communities.
Mr. Abdou Touray, speaking for the UNDP Country Representative, told the graduation event that Africa is experiencing rapid and substantial changes in the size of its population, particularly the youthful component.
He said according to UNDESA (2015), it’s estimated that up to 235 million youth (15-24 years) were living in Africa in 2016, which accounts for approximately 19 percent of the global youth population.
Noting that Africa has the youngest population and the highest youth unemployment rate (60%) in the world, Touray intimated similar trend in the Gambia, disclosing that 2018 Labour Force Survey revealed that national youth unemployment rate rose to 32 percent from 29 percent in 2012; but youth unemployment has increased from 38 percent in 2012 to 42.5 percent in 2018.
For his part, Dr. Godfrey Nzamujo, Director of Songhai Regional Centre pointed out that those young graduates were not only there for certificates, but they had been groomed to be directors, leaders and changers in the society.
He apprised his audience that the GSI Project has several components of development, including the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which captured innovation and technology.
Chief of Upper Baddibou District, Mr. Ebrima Ansu Tamba Jammeh, enjoined the graduands to fasten their belts and make good use of the knowledge that they had been taught; in order to foster development in the Gambia.
