The National Youth Council in collaboration with its partners, Wednesday hosted a two-day West Africa youth leaders forum on population and development.

Held on theme: ‘ICPD25, the contributions of west African youth to accelerating the promise’, the forum is said to be the first West Africa youth leaders forum on population and development and seeks to engage youth on the implementation of their role to the Nairobi summit.

Deputising for the Director General of West African Health Organization (WAHO), Mr. Mongbo Medessi Yves Armand, public officer for maternal and child health at WAHO, said issues concerning young people should be given main concern in all development policies.

He said an estimated 60% of the population of the region is young people less than 35 years. This, he said, clearly suggests that young people are the future of the nation.

He indicated that much progress has been made since the 1994 international conference for population development (ICPD).

‘But the road to achieving universal access to sexual and quality reproductive health services for young people remains long.’

He noted that the West African Health Organization as part of its mandate advocates for governments and development partners to increase investment on youth education and health.

To also encourage partnership and networking amongst young people within the ECOWAS Region, it is important to strategically position young people in other to attain the agenda for the upcoming Nairobi summit” he added.

Hassan Jallow, the representative of the Minister of Youths and Sports said the government of The Gambia under the leadership of H.E President Adama Barrow has recognized young people as a significant factor in national development.

‘The Gambia has always been at the forefront in championing and promoting youth development at all levels.’

He noted that the National Youth Council is a public agency established in year 2000 by an Act of Parliament, saying council seeks to mobilize and enhance the participation of young people in national development efforts.

President Adama Barrow on Thursday addressed the first plenary session of the Russia-Africa Summit and laid out a detailed presentation of the investment opportunities that exist in The Gambia.

“In The Gambia, we have investment opportunities that bode well for this forum. Our National Development Plan, has, among its strategic priorities, modernising our agriculture and fisheries sectors for sustained economic growth, food and nutritional security, and poverty reduction”. President Barrow said in a statement delivered at the summit underway in Sochi, Russia.

The Summit, convened for the first time, provides an opportunity for more than 60 African leaders in politics, business, and development and their Russian counterparts to engage each other with the hope of expanding the political and trade ties between the parties. Top managers of almost 2,000 Russian and foreign companies are taking part in this high-level meeting.

Among other development and investment priorities, the president invited Russian and foreign investors to take advantage of the country’s year-round sunlight to explore and invest in renewable energy. He also highlighted the opportunities that exist in the country’s maritime sector, stressing that the Banjul Seaport is a gateway to the West African market.

“…investment opportunities in river transport exist along our navigable river. The Banjul port is the hub of West Africa with access to over three hundred million people, and just six hours away from Europe, by flight,” he said outlining similar opportunities that exist in education, tourism, among others.

While thanking the Government and People of the Russian Federation for providing scholarships and training opportunities to generations of Gambians, President Barrow expressed commitment to deepen cooperation and pave new grounds for a more robust bilateral partnership.

The newest party in the country dubbed Gambia for All (GFA) party which is founded by Bakary Bunja Dabo, has recently elected its officials at a local hotel in Kololi.
No official announcement has been made by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of the Party’s registration yet.
In a press statement issued to Foroyaa by its leaders, it is said the party held its constitutive congress from Friday 11th to Sunday 13th October, 2019 with three main objectives.
The objectives were to review and approve the draft constitution of the party; elect party officials; and establish guidelines in the form of resolutions on certain thematic areas of particular interest to the party.
These include development of genuine participatory democracy; women’s empowerment for sustainable nation building; youth participation in the national political process; and conquering the political space (at home and in the diaspora) – and challenges on GFA’s path to participatory democracy.
The statement said forty nine (49) delegations out of fifty three (53) constituencies graced the occasion, plus representatives from the Diaspora.
Overall, the statement added that, the congress was conducted in an atmosphere of peace characterized by seriousness and commitment.
Four officials have been elected and they are as follows: Party Leader and Secretary General is Bakary Bunja Dabo; Party National Chairman is Salieu Taal; Party National Treasurer is Ndambou Touray; and Party Chief Mobilizer is Fabakary Sidi Fadera.
The Party leader, Mr. Dabo, commonly referred to as BB Darboe, was Minister of Education for three years and vice president for ten years to late President Dawda Jawara and briefly worked for the AFPRC government as Minister of Finance.
He was a member of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) before losing the election to the post secretary general to Papa Njie earlier this year during the Party’s Congress. He later broke away from the Party and now established GFA Party.