Prior to their departure, the African Ministers visited some centres in Yaounde on Thursday February 12, 2015.

After successfully holding the first Africa Region - Commonwealth Youth Ministers’ Meeting in Yaounde from February 8th to 10th, 2015 in Yaounde the African Ministers took time off to visit some Multifunctional Youth Empowerment centres in Yaounde on Thursday February 12, 2015.

The delegation was led by officials of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Civic Education comprised of youth affairs ministers from Sierra Leone, Namibia, Mauritius and Zambia.

At the Multifunctional Youth Empowerment Centre in Mimboman, the ministers had the opportunity to see the different types of training offered to the youths for their empowerment.

The Director of the centre, Yvette Eyenga explained to the visitors that the centre train youths who are mostly school dropouts to teach them how to manage their own enterprises and be able to integrate into the socio-economic life of the nation.

The ministers also visited the National Civic Service Agency for Participation in Development (NCSAPD), the National Youth Council (CNJ) and the Ministry of Youth Affairs.

The General Manager of NCSAPD Mr. Taossi presented government’s programme for training youth volunteers. He said government has already trained 7,000 youth volunteers and intends to train more this year.

The visitors also made a stop at the headquarters of the National Youth Council in the Essos neighbourhood.

The last stop was at the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Civic Education in the Nlongkak neighbourhood. The Minister of Youth Affairs and Civic Education, Dr. Bidoung Mkpatt, told the African Youth Affairs Ministers that the ministry has external services to ensure a follow-up of youths at the grassroots.

He also said multifunctional youth empowerment centres exist in all the divisions of the country to train young people in extracurricular activities.

Jerry Ekandjo, Minister of Youth, National Service, Sports and Culture, Namibia said the different ministries of culture, education, sports and all ministries that deal with youth affairs should put up a system where African ministers can come together and share their experiences.

“We must encourage our youths to grow as leaders of the continent. If we don’t inculcate in them the sense of patriotism because they are the ones exposed to unemployment, poverty, etc.,” he said.

The African Commonwealth Youth Affairs Ministers stressed the need for Cameroon to start thinking of sending Cameroonian youths to go and train abroad besides the experiences they have gathered in Cameroon.