Partnerships Key to Government’s Economic Inclusion Ambitions

Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Entrepreneurship, Mr. Lameck Nthekela commissioned a new two year partnership programme termed Future makers Botswana, and is designed to develop youth entrepreneurship in Botswana.

The programme is funded by the Standard Chartered Foundation, and it is a partnership between Standard Chartered Bank, Young Africa Botswana and Youth Business International.

In his keynote address, Mr Nthekela said that ‘productive partnerships such as this, which are aimed at citizen economic empowerment, specifically youth will help Government live up to its promise and ensure that there is no Motswana left behind in the quest for economic inclusion’.

During the commissioning session, it was revealed that to-date, Young Africa Botswana has successfully trained two thousand and twenty six youths through various programmes, most of them focusing on entrepreneurship and development of the creative industry. Through this initiative a total of one thousand two hundred and eighty (1280) aspiring and young entrepreneurs have been trained.

‘Altogether such private sector efforts also align well with the Ministry of Entrepreneurship’s mandate of finding purposeful and innovative ways for business development in the country.’ explained Mr Nthekela.