By Lamarana S. Jallow
The Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Bakary Badjie has reminded the New National Enterprise Development Initiative (NEDI) Board Members that their appointments were based on the confidence and trust the President of the Republic has in them with a strong recommendation.
Honourable Badjie made this remark during his inaugural speech of the new Board Members in Banjul.
He urged the new board members to perform their duties in line with the dictates of the NEDI Act and other legal documents guiding the operations of the agency.
Minster Badjie said that NEDI is one of the trusted agencies of the Ministry that provides career guidance, capacity-building programmes and business support development initiatives to young entrepreneurs in line with its mandate for youth empowerment.
He added that NEDI has been recognized by the government and other national and international development agencies including the UN, IOM, GIZ-RSDF, ITC, GIZ-EUTF, IMVF SDF and CPCU among others as vibrant business support organizations that provide support to youth and women businesses across the country.
Minister Badjie mentioned that the previous board that NEDI has over the years established nine Agro-processing centres in LRR and fourteen youth Agriculture Service Centres across the country, which are all equipped with Solar Powers and different types of machinery to help create employment opportunities for youth and women.
“They have also provided apprenticeships in bread making in Kiang Nema and trained twenty-five youth across the Kabada area to be engaged in Bakery in their respective villages,’’ he stated.
The youth minister added that the institution has also established a beekeeping centre in Jarra Jassong and provides apprenticeships for twenty-five women in LRR in bee farming.
“I am hopeful that with the caliber of people appointed to serve in the new board, we will strengthen the effort of management to provide opportunities for young people, especially migrant returnees and at-risk migrants. This will complement the effort of the government in migration governance,’’ he said.
He hailed His Excellency president Adama Barrow for his enormous support to the youth and women of the country.
Minister Badjie further extended appreciation to the previous board members of NEDI for their selfless dedication and commitment to the service of NEDI and for the time they spent serving the young men and women of the country.
Mr. Sanna Bah, the newly appointed Board Chairman assured the president and minister that his board will ensure a smooth working relationship with the management of NEDI and that of the ministry to attain the goals and objectives as enshrined in the Act.
He stated that as board members, they are aware of their responsibilities to guide policy and achieve the set objectives of the institution.
He assured that his members shall closely work with management in order to harness their mandate and come up with business innovative programs.
