Mass Axi Gye, the secretary of state for Youth and Sports, has said that the development of any nation depends on how skilled her youths are.

SoS Gye made this statement during the course of a familiarisation tour of various sub-sectors under his purview, at the President International Awards, where he addressed the students currently undergoing life skills training.

The SoS, accompanied by his permanent secretary, said youth are the cream of the country and should take up meaningful skills to fastly move the country on its path of development. He said the government values career skills, citing the establishment of the National Youth Service Scheme in 1996, the empowerment of the PIA, as well as the creation of the National Youth Council, as clear manifestations.

He challenged the youth trainees at the PIA to live up to expectations in order to be fully self-reliant business enterprises at the end of their courses.

"All what we can do is to create an enabling environment for the youths to partake in life skills ventures. Now the ball lies in your court to benefit from those initiatives and programmes,'' he stressed.

At the carpentry unit of PIA, SoS Gye expressed delight with the quality products manufactured by the Gambian youths at the centre.

The Youth and Sports SoS called on Gambians to patronise PIA by buying their products, saying "what we need in our households and other places are available in quality at here. This is the only way we can empower and encourage our youths. Giving them life skills is key, but we should not limit to that. We also need to patronise their services and products so as to enable them realise the gains".

He added that It is makes no sense to buy imported products when the similar quality goods produced by young Gambians remain in the market.

He told Gambian youths to be resolute and play their rightful role in national development processes.

However, the SoS advised the management of PIA to improve the learning environment, furniture, amongst others.

The PIA was founded in 1981 and has since been running programmes such as IT, secretarial courses, automechanic, carpentry, electrical and welding courses, sewing, amongst others.