By Haddy Touray
The opposition All-Peoples Party (APP-Sobeyaa) has defended its leader Essa Faal’s remarks on youth unemployment against a response by the Information Minister, Ismaila Ceesay.
According to APP-Sobeyaa’s National Spokesperson, Mr Ousainou Bobb, the minister’s response is evidence of a government unsettled by open discussion on youth unemployment, irregular migration and policy shortcomings.
In a statement made available to this medium, Mr Bobb said what should have been a constructive engagement degenerated into denial and, more worryingly, suggestions that Gambian youths were responsible for their own economic marginalization.
According to him, Mr Faal’s remarks on Coffee Time with Peter Gomez were neither reckless nor inflammatory but reflected widely acknowledged realities that youth unemployment in The Gambia was structural rather than moral.
“To suggest that young Gambians are lazy or unwilling to work is not only insulting but reflects a misunderstanding of how labour markets function in low-income economies with weak links between education and employment,” the statement noted.
Mr Bobb says that foreign nationals dominate several skilled sectors in the country, including construction, mechanical trades, fishing and some supervisory roles in the hospitality industry, attributing the situation to years of policy neglect rather than youth indolence.
He cited underfunded technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions, unregulated apprenticeship systems, lack of certification and limited access to start-up capital as contributing factors.
The APP-Sobeyaa spokesperson also rejected claims that irregular migration was driven by ignorance or recklessness, noting that international research showed young people migrate because of limited economic opportunities and eroding prospects at home.
“When education does not translate into employment and effort does not guarantee dignity, migration becomes a survival strategy rather than a choice,” he remarked.
On the National Health Insurance Scheme, Mr Bobb said concerns raised by Mr Faal amounted to responsible policy critique, stressing that universal health coverage required careful design and sustainable financing in an economy marked by informality and high unemployment.
He further called for serious consideration of APP-Sobeyaa’s proposal for a US$50 million annual youth investment revolving scheme, arguing that similar initiatives integrating skills training, youth enterprise financing and structured recovery mechanisms have shown positive results in other African countries.
Mr Bobb says the party remains committed to evidence-based debate and respect for institutions but warned that misrepresenting the youth crisis and shifting blame instead of addressing policy failures would continue to attract strong responses.
“The youth crisis in The Gambia requires reform and humility, not denial,” Mr. Bobb concluded.