By Allieu Sahid Tunkara
Young Entrepreneurs Network, a local civil society organisation focusing on the training of young people in entrepreneurial skills, has called on government to improve on its skills training schemes for the youths.
The organisation’s co-founder, Murtala Mohamed Kamara, lamented that youth unemployment remained a big challenge in the country and that as such government was obliged to provide the required resources for their training in entrepreneurship. But he said such ventures could only be possible if government entered into partnership with the appropriate institutions that could offer such training.
“Since no government can create jobs for all its citizens, it should therefore train the youths in entrepreneurship for sustainable development,” he said.
Africa, he added, had the largest youth demography and the working age population was expected to double to one billion in the next 25 years, surpassing those of both China and India.
Kamara then observed that providing the required training for youths towards self employment would be relevant as Sierra Leone craves for a double digit growth for sustainable development. The onus, he said, was on the leaders to address systemic structural changes that can boost investment, enhance competitiveness and harness opportunities arising from technology adoption in all sectors.
Murtala Mohamed Kamara recently returned from South Africa where he represented Sierra Leone at the just concluded World Economic Forum on Africa as the head of the Freetown hub of the global community of young entrepreneurs.
The forum is said to be the largest economic conference globally, attracting 1, 200 delegates consisting of heads of governments, civil society organizations, among others. This year`s occasion was held in Cape Town, South Africa between 3rd and 5th June.
South African President Jacob Zuma used his key note address to appeal to all representatives to provide opportunities for the youths.
“Youths got to be in all levels of the discussion because they have all the great ideas. We should provide opportunities for them to be employable,’’ Mr Zuma said.
Young Entrepreneurs Network is a local civil society organisation that provides training, mentorship and access to finance for sustainable business development for youths in Sierra Leone. It was established in 2013 after a global entrepreneurship summit which Kamara as a co-founder attended in Malaysia.
(C) Politico 16/06/15
