(From right): Debora Akec, Undersecretary in the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Rukaya Mohamed - UN Women Country Representative speak during a roundtable discussion in Juba. February 17, 2024. (Photo: Lou Nelson/Eye Radio).

The Ministry of Youth and Sports said it will submit the Youth Enterprise Development Fund policy to the Ministry of Justice on Tuesday for further deliberation and approval by the national cabinet and parliament.

The ministry’s undersecretary Debora Akec stated that the bill is expected to be passed by parliament at least by 2025.

She said the youth enterprise development fund has delayed due to changes of ministers and undersecretaries at the youth ministry. Ms. Akec added that once passed, the bill will ease implementation of youth empowerment in the country.

“The youth enterprise development fund has been under discussion for a very long time, but because of the leadership changes, sometimes the minister or the undersecretary is removed and new ones have to come and start again from scratch,” she said during the pre-event of the 60^th anniversary of African Development Bank in Juba.

“I want to assure the young people here that we are working on it. In fact before I came here I was writing a letter of submitting that bill to the ministry of justice now.”

Young people in South Sudan make up an estimated 72% of the population, but they face numerous challenges that limit their access to education and livelihoods opportunities.

Unemployment is said to be one of the biggest social problems facing youth in the country, as the demographic accounts for only 12 percent of the workforce.

This presents numerous challenges such as reduction in the absorption of young people in the labor market and retardation of the country’s economic growth.

An official recently claimed that 95 percent of South Sudanese youth remain unemployed although 60 percent of them have college degrees and high school certificates, as the government launched women and youth empowerment initiative.

David Dau, Executive Director in the Office of Vice President Nyandeng, pointed out that around 73% of South Sudan’s population is under the age of 30 years – with over half of that being women.

He further said within the youth demographic, 95 percent are jobless. Mr. Dau did not disclose the source of his data and it is not clear if the figure is only for those without formal employment.

“In South Sudan, it is estimated that youths are 73% of the population. Among the youth, over 95% are unemployed. Within the 95% that are unemployed, more than 60% have college degree, diplomas or certificates,” he said.