His Excellency, President of the Republic, Mr. Adama Barrow on Monday held discussion on areas of cooperation with the President of Egypt, President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi, on agriculture, tourism, and the ongoing security sector reform program of the government.
This high profile meeting happened on the sidelines of the Africa Business Forum 2018, where President Adama Barrow is leading a government delegation to participate alongside other African leaders in government and global businesses in the Egyptian city of Sharm El Sheikh. The event focuses on issues such as infrastructure, finance, and energy.
The highlight of the world gathering was the Youth Entrepreneurship Day, which featured a panel of young entrepreneurs sharing ideas and start-up projects in the context of nurturing African talents. At the keynote event, President El-Sisi welcomed the participants in what he described as “an information-sharing forum for pioneering ideas”. He described the African youth as an engine of the future to promote the message that Africa is the future of the world’s economy.
He expressed his government’s full support for youth entrepreneurship, and therefore encouraged companies to engage in training more youth entrepreneurs as they are the engine of growth and job creation. President Sisi revealed that Egypt will be launching an entrepreneurship program with the aim of training ten thousand (10,000 ) youths in the next three years.
The Chairperson of the African Union and champion of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the President Rwanda, Paul Kagame delivered a message of hope in the power and potential of the African youth, stressing that Africa should view its youthful population as an opportunity not a threat. He urged leaders to facilitate and chart a way for them to prosper unhindered.
Youth panelists from Nigeria, Cameroon, Rwanda, and Egypt shared their start-up enterprises making creative use of technology.
Meanwhile, Her Excellency, Lady Sarjo Mballow-Barrow was hosted by First Lady of Egypt, Her Excellency, Entisar Amer, along with other First Ladies attending the Africa Business Forum 2018. She was honored to a dinner, and a visit to historic sites sin Sharm Al-Sheik and Sinai cities.
Amie Bojang-Sissoho
Director of Press & Public Relations
Office of the President, State House, Banjul
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