About Us

The Ministry of Youth and Sports is a Key Component of the Government that is bestowed with the responsibility to coordinate, facilitate and ensure the development of youth and sports in the country. It provides the Policy direction (Youth and Sports Policies) for the smooth implementation of youth and sports activities and programmes throughout the country.

The Gambia’s youth constitute over 70%of the population which necessitates the need for their effective mainstreaming and assuming center of focus to drive socio-economic change and national development. The ultimate goal of the policy is to function as a guide for Ministry and its partners to ensure that investment in youth takes place across sectors.

While the Ministry is responsible for policy evolution and overall coordination of the activities of youth and sports around the country, implementation is carried out through its satellite institutions such as, the Department of Youth and Sports (DYS), the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSS),President’s International Award (PIA), National Youth Council (NYC), National Sports Council (NSC), National Enterprise Development Initiative (NEDI) and the Independence Stadium and Friendship Hotel.

The Ministry is headed by the Minister who is supported by the Permanent Secretary (PS) and Two Deputy Permanent Secretaries (DPS).(DPS of Technical and Sport Matters and DPS of Administration and Finance). While DPS Youth is responsible for the supervision of NYC, NYSS, NEDI and PIA, the DPS Sports is in charge of NSC, and Independence Stadium. The newly established Department of Planning and Programmes (DOPP) is the technical arm of the Ministry. It is directly under the PS.