Banjul, 26th February 2025: The Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports, Bakary Y. Badjie, recently hosted a high-level delegation of seven Executive Directors from the African Development Bank (AfDB), as part of their mission to assess The Gambia’s macro-economic landscape and explore strategic partnerships aligned with the country's development priorities.
In his remarks, Minister Badjie emphasised the critical role of AfDB in empowering Gambian youths, urging for targeted investments in job creation, sports, and entrepreneurship.
He expressed belief that with the right financial support, The Gambia can unlock the full potential of its young population.
The AfDB delegation reaffirmed their commitment to supporting focused initiatives that drive economic growth and social development, underscoring the need for strategic partnerships that directly impact people lives.
The Minister of Gender, Children, and Social Welfare, Hon. Fatou Kinteh, joined the discussions, highlighting the importance of AfDB’s support to bridging gender gaps in economic participation. She emphasised the need for specialised financing for women-led enterprises and training programmes that equip young women with technical and entrepreneurial skills.
Minister Kinteh stressed that financial inclusion must be gender-sensitive, ensuring that women in rural and urban communities have equal access to funding, resources, and mentorship programmes.
“We must create policies and programmes that empower young women to thrive in business and leadership. The AfDB’s support can be a game-changer in reducing youth unemployment and fostering inclusive development,” she stated.
In response, AfDB officials acknowledged the need for gender-focused initiatives, assuring the government of their commitment to promoting equal opportunities for young men and women in economic and social development.
Permanent Secretary Saffie Sankareh-Farage outlined key areas of intervention for AfDB collaboration. She took the delegation through potential areas of collaboration between the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the AfDB, with a focus on infrastructural development, enterprise support, and skills enhancement.
She mentioned the Ministry’s initiatives of upgrading and constructing sports facilities, investing in modern youth-friendly sports complexes, stadia, and community centres, expanding peace building resource hubs, and establishing community “peace hubs” within youth centres to provide conflict resolution training, leadership courses, and psychosocial support.
On enterprise and entrepreneurship development, the PS emphasised the need to specialise financing for youth and women-led ventures, partnering with the National Youth Enterprise Development Agency (NYEDA) to fund youth entrepreneurs in agribusiness, fisheries, manufacturing, and digital innovation.
She also highlighted sector-specific business incubators which entail supporting incubators dedicated to high-growth industries such as ICT, renewable energy, and agriculture; as well as the strengthening of the Ministry’s Management Information System (MIS).
The visit marked a major milestone in deepening collaboration among the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of Gender, and AfDB. Discussions laid the foundation for impact-driven, sustainable programs that align with national priorities and foster economic empowerment for young people across The Gambia.
The AfDB delegation reaffirmed their commitment to working closely with the government of The Gambia to ensure future investments directly benefit Gambian youth, entrepreneurs, and athletes.
By Lamarana S. Jallow
