The Executive Director of the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSS), Mr. Musa Mbye, recently returned from Songhai Centre of Porto-Novo Benin, where he spent a week. Mr. Mbye was at Benin at the invitation of ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre.

Upon his return, Mr. Mbye told the Youth Forum that he was invited in order to allow him consolidate and gain experience from the said centre and help him to better manage reforms that NYSS is currently pursuing at Nyaniberi farm in order to effectively host the ECOWAS training programme in 2009.

Mr. Mbye spoke at length about the differences and similarities between Songhai Centre and NYSS Nyaniberi farm. Mbye noted that Songhai is a Private Voluntary Organisation that seeks to create viable socio-economic environments in Africa by developing human capacities for the empowerment of individuals and groups as active members of the society and also developing a resilient integrated program that links agriculture with industry and commerce.

“Songhai Centre is an arena where Africans learn and put into practice the principles of self-determination by unleashing the creative potential of its members and cultivating a strong sense of a rational use of local resources. Songhai’s primary activity is the training of young Africans by the transfer of technical skills through practical and human training, so that they become capable of creating and managing viable enterprises such as agriculture, processing of agricultural products and marketing, small construction industries (production of stabilised blocks, design and construction of low-cost housing) electrical and mechanical workshops and also community development”, the NYSS Boss explained.

The Executive Director concluded by expressing his appreciation to the Department of State for Youth and Sports on behalf of the Board of Directors and management of NYSS for the continuous support in developing the human resource base of The Gambia.