BUJUMBURA February 1st (ABP) – The Minister of East African Community Affairs, Youth, Sports and Culture, Mr. Ezéchiel Nibigira presented, Friday, January 28, 2022, the summary report of the major achievements for the second quarter of the 2021-2022 budget year, at the level of the four areas that make up this ministry. That concerns the integration of Burundi into the East African Community (EAC) and the fields of Youth, Sports and Culture as well as 4 institutions under its supervision, namely BIJE, CEBULAC, ABEJ and the ‘OBDA.
Minister Ezéchiel Nibigira said that in the field of Burundi’s integration into the East African Community, the ministry, in collaboration with the EAC court of justice, organized in Bujumbura the ceremonies for the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the community’s court of justice under the theme: “Promoting respect for the rule of law in integration programs leading to an East African Community that we desire”.
In this area, Minister Nibigira explained that following the barrier measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the ministry in charge of the EAC in Burundi followed up on the implementation of the directives of the summits of the councils of Ministers and all EAC sector councils relevant to all sectors of the EAC domain. This ministry also coordinated the participation of the Republic of Burundi in 44 virtual meetings and 41 physical regional meetings, including 13 decision-making meetings, including Burundi’s participation in the 18th Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State of the EAC, held virtually. on December 22, 2021 in which the DRC was accepted as a member country of this community.
In the youth sector, Minister Nibigira indicated that the Government of Burundi has placed youth among the 6 major national priorities. According to him, the ministry he heads organized a follow-up and support visit and granted revolving credits repayable without interest to 4,178 young people from 41 solidarity groups in the Gitega and Ngozi provinces.
The ministry also organized a training workshop for municipal councilors in charge of development on the supervision and supervision of the activities of youth solidarity groups held in Ngozi on December 15, 2021 with the aim of encouraging the administrative authorities to involvement of young people in municipal development projects and regular monitoring of projects carried out by these young people in their locality. He added that he then organized from December 14 to 16, 2021 in Kirundo an awareness workshop for 44 young volunteers on community volunteering. It also sensitized 339 young people gathered in Sangwe cooperatives in certain communes of the provinces of Muramvya, Bururi and Mwaro and to the administrative authorities of these provinces on the products of the Youth Bank and on education in savings and management. credit.
According to Minister Nibigira, the Ministry in charge of Youth also organized from December 8 to 10, 2021, a capacity building workshop in entrepreneurship and awarded starter kits to young entrepreneurs in the province of Ruyigi. There was also a recruitment throughout the country and placement of 222 young graduates in different services for the first job internship under the coordination of the Burundian Agency for Youth Employment (ABEJ).