Pageant News

Amid mounting concerns about the increasing exodus of Gambian youths through illegal migration to Europe ,president Jammeh has called on them to stay put and avail themselves of “numerous opportunities” created by two decades of his rule. Addressing the nation as he marked twenty years at the helms,he stated:“At the center of all our efforts to attain economic superpower status is the youth who constitute a high percentage of our population. Instead of embarking on perilous journeys to reach Europe illegally, the youth should take advantage of the numerous opportunities created by government for decent and honourable living .The University of The Gambia was established to cater for the human capital development needs of our country. Today, the University has graduated many young Gambians in various fields of specialisation relevant to our development needs. When the UTG main campus in Faraba-Banta is complete, more disciplines relevant to our economic development will be introduced. Apart from the UTG, we have encouraged the establishment of many tertiary institutions for middle level skills development programme and thankfully, these institutions are producing technicians for businesses and industry". At least 27 of the 45 illegal migrants found dead in a boat on its way to Italy last month were Gambian,Gambian police sources confirmed.Investigation by Italian police confirmed they were apparently killed by toxic fumes from the boat's engine. He added:"The Ministry of Trade therefore formulated the National Industrial Policy in 1998 to provide strategic direction for the expansion of production and promotion of value addition in sectors with high employment and growth potential. The Ministry has also formulated the National Trade Policy, the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Policy, and Employment Policy, all of which are essential to promote economic growth and development.The Gambia has ample business opportunities in the areas of agro-forestry, fisheries and petroleum and through the Gambia Investment and Export Promotion Agency (GIEPA) we will continue to expose and market these opportunities at home and abroad”. Gambians youths have been leaving for Libya traveling through the desert and the Mediterranean in search of a better life.Sadly many do not make it or find life in Europe fundamentally different from what they expected.