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

After the successfully holding of the first Africa Region - Commonwealth Youth Ministers’ Meeting in Yaounde that held from February 8 to 10, 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 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 an 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 trains youths who are mostly school drop outs to teach them on 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 in the grass roots. 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 train the in them to be patriotic in the proper way they can be easily destroyed 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 go and train abroad in their countries their youths to learn from Cameroon’s experiences.