Ministry of education, youth and sport (MEYS) in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Salone Youth and Adolescent Network on population and development (SaLYAN), Saturday celebrated the African Youth Day and year of African Youth at the National Stadium Presidential lounge.

The theme of the event is "African youth promote positive African values."

Deputy minister of education, Dr. Al-Gasimu Jah, said the African Youth Day was dedicated to highlighting issues surrounding the development of African youths, acknowledge the urgent need to promote them, enhance their involvement in the African development agenda and also expand the provision of quality action for their benefits.

The deputy minister said his government views the country's youth challenge as a human development challenge that must be given utmost attention especially in the context of post-conflict, peace-building and sustainable poverty reduction.

The government generally objective in the short and medium terms, he said, is to promote the development of youth and create environment for their full participation in social and economic measures that affect them.

UNFPA representative, Mr. Barnabas Yisa, maintained that more than half of Sierra Leone's population is under the age of 25, adding that with adequate knowledge and skills, this generation could become a strong advocate for sustainable development and promotion of health and human rights.

He said the charter (African Youth Charter), for which that day speaks, informed them of the need to continue to uphold the principles of respect for African dignity and also remembering them of the importance of education, employment and religion within the African society as it faced the repercussions of post war, moral degradation, poor education among others.

He however expressed UNFPA's dismay over the high number of teenage pregnancy, school drop outs, crimes and HIV/STIS among young people.

He assured that UNFPA is working closely with the government and other development partners to empower adolescents and youth with skills, livelihood and employment programmes, rights of young people to name etc.

SaLYAN executive chairman, Donald Bash Kalokoh said the decision to commemorate the 1st of November of each year and the celebration of the year 2008 as the year of the African Youth, is a significant boost aiming at strengthening African youth motivation and ability to participate ably in the process to build sustainable peace and development in the continent.

Mr. Kolokoh emphasized that the African Charter recognized youth contributions to national development and that the charter also admonished national governments to create a conducive platform for their economic, political and social development.

He therefore, appealed to the go