Chakwera directs MDAs to own, implement newly launched Youth Policy
President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has directed government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to develop and implement youth-centric programmes, stressing that this is the only way Malawi can achieve meaningful transformation.
Chakwera made the sentiments when he presided over the launch of the National Youth Policy in Lilongwe on Tuesday.
He emphasized that despite the Ministry of Youth being the major shareholder of the policy, its application and implementation need to cut across all sectors of Malawi’s national development.
“In a nation like ours, where over half of the citizenry is under the age of 18 and three-quarters are under the age of 35, there can be no development in any sector that isn’t also youth development. For this reason, I decided to be here personally to signal my expectation for every ministry to familiarize itself with this policy and engage the Ministry of Youth on the role they can play in its implementation,” he said.
Chakwera stated that under his administration, there will be no arena of public service delivery whose primary beneficiaries are not young people.
He said this is why his government has always given young people the attention “they deserve”.
“Additionally, the cross-cutting nature of youth development requires better coordination among all stakeholders, which is why I am happy to announce that I will soon be forming an inter-Ministerial Taskforce on Youth to ensure that the implementation of this National Youth Policy is being done across all Ministries,” said the President.
Chakwera expressed happiness that the launch of the Youth Policy coincided with the observance of UN Day, stating that this signifies that the policy goes beyond the corridors of Malawi Government and that its success demands that non-state actors like international organizations and development partners align their programmes to the policy framework we have formulated with their support.
