The Honourable Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology,Honourable Cabinet Ministers,World Bank Resident Representative,Secretary General and Head of Civil Service,The Chief of Staff,Members of the Diplomatic and Donor Community,Security Chiefs, Permanent Secretaries, and other Heads of Institutions,Development Partners,Representatives of TVET Institutions,Distinguished Guests,Ladies and Gentlemen,Students,

Convinced by global evidence and the reality on the ground, my government strongly believes that the future of The Gambia depends largely on the scope, mix, and quality of skills, knowledge, and opportunities available to our young people. This is why we place a high premium on strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as a critical pillar for employment creation, enterprise development, industrial growth, and social inclusion.

TheSkills, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SIE) Fund,under theResilience, Inclusive Skills and Employment (RISE) Project,is a strategic intervention in that direction.

Established under the World Bank-fundedRISEProject and implemented by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (MoHERST), the Fund is designed to strengthen TVET institutions, expand access to quality and market-relevant skills training, and promote innovation and entrepreneurship among our Gambian youth and women.

It is, therefore, a practical response to one of the most pressing national challenges of our time, which is how to sufficiently equip our people, especially the youth, with the right skills and support systems to secure jobs, create businesses, and contribute to national transformation.

Ladies and Gentlemen,Linked directly to this, we are here to formally award grants, underWindow One (1)of theSIEFund, to twenty-five (25) TVET institutions for Institutional Improvement amounting to thirty-three million, eight hundred and fifty-eight thousand, seven hundred and eight Dalasis, twenty-four bututs (GMD 33, 858, 708. 24).

This sum is to strengthen improvement of infrastructure, equipment, governance systems, programme quality, and institutional performance.

In addition, underWindow Two (2),eighteen (18) institutions will receive forty-nine million, nine hundred and fifty-six thousand Dalasis (GMD 49, 956, 000. 00) as grants to train young people and women on relevant labour market TVET programmes.

These awards, amounting to over eighty-three million, eight hundred and fourteen thousand, seven hundred and eight Dalasis, twenty-four bututs (GMD 83, 814, 708. 24), will intensify skills delivery and expand opportunities for our young people.

Many may recall that the first grants from theSIEFund were awarded in February 2025. At the time, twenty-five (25) TVET institutions received grants equal to thirty million, eight hundred and seventy thousand, eight hundred Dalasis (GMD 30, 870, 800). Its target was to enrol one thousand and eighty-seven (1087) students into demand-driven TVET programmes at certificate and diploma levels.

On record, the completion rate of that intervention is eighty percent (80%), and the employability and job creation indicators of those beneficiaries are positive.

I am encouraged by the broad interest this initiative has generated across the TVET ecosystem in the country. It indicates the growing recognition among our institutions of the importance of TVET and the urgent need to improve training quality, relevance, and access for employability and job creation.

I appreciate that the selection process was thorough and involved theSIEFund Secretariat, the National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority (NAQAA), and the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and Project Steering Committee of the Fund. The reports of both committees have been granted “No Objection” by the World Bank, which is excellent.

Ladies and Gentlemen,The significance of these awards lies not only in the resources being provided, but in the expected outcomes. The grants will better position the participating institutions to modernise their workshops and training facilities, improve the quality of instruction they offer, upgrade their equipment, strengthen governance and management systems, and expand access to accredited programmes in key priority sectors, such as Agribusiness, ICT, Engineering, Arts and Crafts, Tourism, and Business. Importantly also, young people and women across the country will gain access to practical and demand-driven skills that improve employability, productivity, and prospects for self-employment. I congratulate the beneficiary institutions on this achievement. You must remember, however, that these grants are public investments in your institutions and in the future of the Gambian people. Use the funds responsibly, efficiently, and strictly for the intended purposes.

I also implore you to expand opportunities for the youth and women you serve by building partnerships with industry and employers. Together, let us ensure that these investments yield better skills, better livelihoods, and better futures.

I advise the institutions that have not been selected yet to refine their proposals, systems, and readiness for future opportunities.

Ladies and Gentlemen,It is particularly pleasing that this ceremony will include launching the “Call for Proposals” underWindow Three (3), which aims to support the establishment of seventy-five (75) start-up businesses annually. This is critical, as skills development alone is not enough if it is not linked to enterprise creation, innovation, and access to opportunity.

To succeed, we must build an ecosystem wherein young Gambians can turn skills into productive businesses, jobs, and solutions to local and national challenges. My government will remain supportive of initiatives that create pathways for young people to move from training to work, from ideas to enterprise, and from vulnerability to productivity and dignity. We will continue to work with our development partners, training institutions, the private sector, and the communities to ensure that our investments in education and skills development translate into real and measurable impact.

In this regard, I acknowledge and thank the World Bank and all partners supporting theRISEProject and, extendedly, our broader education and skills development agenda.

I assure you that your support continues to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our people and in the capacity of our institutions.

Let me emphasise that the transformation of The Gambia depends not only on policy formulation but also practical investments, such as the one we are celebrating today.

By investing in institutions, skills, innovation, and entrepreneurship, we are investing in jobs, productivity, social mobility, and national resilience.

I congratulate MoHERST, theSIEFund Secretariat, NAQAA, the Central Projects Coordination Unit of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, the Project Support Committee and Technical Advisory Committee of theSIEFund, and all the beneficiary institutions on this milestone achievement.

While looking forward to seeing the impact of these grants across our TVET institutions and communities, we encourage all stakeholders to remain focussed on attaining and maintaining excellence, accountability, results, and impact.

We also urge the private sector and development partners to support such initiatives as theSIEFund, which has a direct positive impact on our youth and women.

With these remarks, it is my singular honour to officially declare the second (2nd)SIE Fund Awards Ceremonyopen. I thank you all for your attention.