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The Ministry of Youth & Sports (MoYS) today begins a ten-day nationwide, policy-oriented town hall meetings tour, aimed at strengthening youth empowerment and sports development through inclusive, evidence-based dialogue. The nationwide engagement is being led by the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr. Bakary Y. Badjie , with support from the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Bulli Dibba, alongside heads of satellite institutions and senior technical staff of the Ministry. Covering all regions of the country, the tour adopts a participatory and whole-of-society approach, bringing together young people, sports stakeholders, civil society organisations, private sector actors, traditional leaders, and government representatives. The objective is to collectively shape practical, responsive, and locally grounded youth and sports policies.

The Honourable Minister of Youth & Sports, Bakary Y. Badjie, yesterday received a delegation from Children’s Foundation The Gambia (CFG), First Drop Initiative Manduar, and Monte Pacini for a briefing on preparations ahead of the official launch of the Stories of Hope Project scheduled for next week. The delegation informed the Minister about the five‑year initiative, which aims to educate Gambian youth on the dangers of irregular migration (“backway”) through real-life storytelling, skills development, and community engagement. The visit was led by Mr. Nfamara Dabo, Chairman of Children’s Foundation The Gambia, who provided an overview of the foundation, the project concept, and its expected contribution to national efforts to address irregular migration. Mr. Musa Darboe, author of First Drop and founder of First Drop Initiative Manduar, also shared his personal experience with irregular migration. He expressed his commitment to using his story throughout the project to inspire young people to pursue skills development and safer, legal pathways to travel. Representing Monte Pacini, Mrs. Elisabetta Baldassarri, President of the organization, expressed their readiness to support both the launch and implementation of the project, highlighting their longstanding dedication to youth development initiatives in Italy and abroad. In receiving the delegation, Hon. Badjie welcomed the team and commended them for designing such an impactful initiative. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting programmes that equip young people with knowledge, skills, and safe opportunities at home. The meeting concluded with Mr. Carlo Pagliacci presenting a letter from the Mayor of the City Council of Fermo, Italy, confirming the council’s commitment to partner in the project.

The Honourable Ministry of Youth & Sports , Bakary Y. Badjie, yesterday received a delegation from Children’s Foundation The Gambia (CFG), First Drop Initiative Manduar, and Monte Pacini for a briefing on preparations ahead of the official launch of the Stories of Hope Project scheduled for next week. The delegation informed the Minister about the five‑year initiative, which aims to educate Gambian youth on the dangers of irregular migration (“backway”) through real-life storytelling, skills development, and community engagement. The visit was led by Mr. Nfamara Dabo, Chairman of Children’s Foundation The Gambia, who provided an overview of the foundation, the project concept, and its expected contribution to national efforts to address irregular migration. Mr. Musa Darboe, author of First Drop and founder of First Drop Initiative Manduar, also shared his personal experience with irregular migration. He expressed his commitment to using his story throughout the project to inspire young people to pursue skills development and safer, legal pathways to travel. Representing Monte Pacini, Mrs. Elisabetta Baldassarri, President of the organization, expressed their readiness to support both the launch and implementation of the project, highlighting their longstanding dedication to youth development initiatives in Italy and abroad. In receiving the delegation, Hon. Badjie welcomed the team and commended them for designing such an impactful initiative. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting programmes that equip young people with knowledge, skills, and safe opportunities at home. The meeting concluded with Mr. Carlo Pagliacci presenting a letter from the Mayor of the City Council of Fermo, Italy, confirming the council’s commitment to partner in the project.

The Ministry of Youth & Sports is pleased to welcome Mr. Bulli M. Dibba as its new Permanent Secretary. A seasoned civil servant, Mr. Dibba brings decades of experience in public administration, having served in several senior leadership positions across government. He has previously held key roles as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Interior, Lands, Ministry of Defence, Office of The President and the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, where he played an instrumental role in policy coordination, administration, and national development initiatives. He served as Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Chancery of the Gambia High Commission in Sierra Leone from September 2020 to December 2025. Mr. Dibba holds a bachelor’s degree in finance (BS), a master’s degree in business administration (MBA), a Masters degree in Public Administration Nonprofit (MPNA) and a master’s degree in international development (MSc) Known for his dedication to public service and strong leadership, Mr. Dibba’s wealth of experience is expected to strengthen youth empowerment programs and advance the development of sports in The Gambia. The Ministry congratulates Mr. Bulli Dibba on his redeployment and looks forward to his contribution to building a vibrant and impactful youth and sports sector.