The National Youth Council convened a summit on Sunday to discuss the council’s uphill tasks and solutions as its clocked 20 years

The summit dubbed “Deciding the future together” was held at the National Nutrition Agency (NaNA) in Bakau.

It brought together the country’s Youths and Sports minister Bakary Badjie and 50 leaders of youth organisations across the country.

NYC was established in 2000 to help mobilise, coordinate, register, and supervise youth organizations, implement national youth programmes as well as advice the Government on youth matters.

Speaking at the summit, Bakary Y Badjie, minister of Youth and Sport expressed delight for the celebration, as well as the youth national conversation, describing it as significant.

“It is an institution that has undergone a lot of changes and it is an institution that has tremendous work in its file. It is recognised that the youth governing institution has obstacles that all young people have to assess collectively to make the council work efficiently,” he told the summit.

He said the NYC “is neither a civil service organization nor established to be against the Government but it was established to serve as an advice-giving board to the Government on youth matters”, adding “It is established to look into the affairs of young people and come with programmes that will address the needs of the youth”.

Mr Badjie said NYC has the mandate to address both the needs of youths working at youth organizations and youth who are working in all works of life.

He called on the youth to put their differences aside and contribute to nation-building, especially youth advancement across the board.

For his part, Alhagie Jarju, NYC acting executive director, said the national youth conversation that coincided with the 20 year anniversary aimed to discuss NYC’s achievement, its challenges as well as identify its current administrative issues such as weaknesses and opportunities and look way forward to developing the council.

Dembo Kambi, outgoing chairperson for the NYC described the celebration as very important and timely in ensuring Gambian youths reflecting on its success, challenges, and way forward for the youth council.

He urged all participants to discuss challenges affecting the development of youth as well put mechanisms in place to ensure projects that come to empower and support youth development matters are controlled by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.