The National Enterprise Development Initiative (NEDI), in collaboration with Bank PHB, on Wednesday made a presentation of certificates and a disburstment of D2M in kind and cash to 40 Gambian vendors.

This was done at a ceremony held at The President International Award's Scheme hall in Bakau. NEDI which was initiated and sponsored by President Jammeh through the Jammeh Foundation for peace, is primarily aimed at helping the youths and women to acquire skills that can enable them venture in business, thus reducing foreign dominance and biting of price fluctuation of basic consumable commodities in the country. Before the disbursment, the 40 vendors had undergone a five day training on business management, facilitated by Bank PHB.

Speaking on behalf of President Jammeh, Her Excellency, the vice president, Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, said that the training was a critical part of NEDI's endeavour to provide self-employment opportunities for youths of this country as well as women in small-scale business. She added that the initiative was born out of a clear need to mobilise a national response to curb unfair escalation of prices in the first half of the year 2000, particularly those of basic commodities, which has become virtually unaffordable to many Gambians.

"To address this problem and to ensure that prices of basic commodities are affordable to the people, the government, through the department of state for Youths and Sports, in collaboration with other partners in the private sector, have devised a plan for requisite training and resource mobilisation, targeting women and youth vendors, so as to develop their business management and entrepreneurial skills," she remarked.

Dilating on the potentials of the youth, she vowed that the government would not relent in its obligation to women and youths, and that will do all it can to harness their potentials in national development. She maintained that government will continue to seek collaborative ventures with its partners to see to the identification, designing and successful implementation of added projects, in support of youth employment and participation in nation building. Such programmes include the NYSS and UNDP supported Gamjobs project.

"If you want future clients and future customers, invest on youths," the vice president stressed. She thanked Bank PHB for the financial support they rendered to NEDI, and urge the beneficiaries to invest in business in stead of ungainful purposes. And she called on NEDI to closely monitor the beneficiaries.

The secretary of state for Youths and Sports, Honourable Sheriff Gomez, recalled President Jammeh's commitment in empowering the youth, describing them as the backbone of the nation. He emphasised that NEDI was established so as to stem the tide of increased unemployment among youths and women. Unemployment, SoS Gomez said, has negatively impacted  the  moral attitudes of young people, so much so that the it called for urgent and pragmatic intervention. He added that this made NEDI to assist them to contribute meaningfully to their socio-economic advancement.

On his ministry's efforts, SoS Gomez revealed that the government, spearheaded by the Office of the Vice President, in partnership with his ministry and NEDI, have began to implore strategic tools, to encourage youths and women to venture into business as a window of opportunity. He seized the opportunity to commend NEDI and Bank PHB for the gesture.

For his part, Chuks Melville Chibundu, director general of Bank PHB, described his bank as one of the fastest growing banks in the world.  He said that Bank PHB is in The Gambia for Gambia government and its people, noting that it will focus on the youths and women. He assured the meeting that the bank will keep rendering training to the beneficiaries and also ensure monitoring.

Other speakers included Mambajick Njie, permanent secretary at the department of state for Youths and Sports. The beneficiaries include: Aminata Jammeh, Western Region; Alagie Cham, CRR; Fatou R Jallow, KMC; and Dawda Drammeh, Banjul.