World Bank President Jim Yong Kim on Tuesday in Abidjan said rapid growth in West Africa could be achieved with less conflict and more focus on education and skills development.
Speaking to newsmen after the inspection of training facilities for ex-combatants at the national electricity training centre in
Bingerville-Abidjan, Kim said South Korea, his birth place, was in a more a sordid position, but it was able to grow.
According to him, South Korea was written off as a “basket case’’ in the 60’s but it had turned out to be one of the most successful economies in the world.?
“ 40 per cent of the economy of the entire West African region is based in Cote d’Ivoire. The success of Cote d’Ivoire is critical to the success of the entire region and I will say to the success of Africa.
“I am here today because at the World Bank we are focused on jobs. The World Bank report for this year would be focused on
jobs. One of the areas we need to focus our minds is on creation of jobs for young people.
“These are model programmes. I was very inspired by the stories of the young people, some of them ex-combatants who have chosen a different path. They have chosen the path of education and of hope.’’
Kim, who met with some of the ex-combatants, said he believed that the youths hold the key to the future, if they make the right decisions.
In his remarks on the meeting, Ivorian Minister of Employment, Gilbert Kafana, said the government was keen on creating a different atmosphere for the youths after the political crisis.
Kafana said the project for training of the ex-combatants was facilitated by the World Bank.
One of the trainees, Francis Kone, said they had enjoyed support in their journey into another life of learning new skills in order to add value to humanity.
He said more than 5, 000 trainees were taken into the programme, commending the World Bank for its support.
Kim who assumed duty in June, 2012, was on his first official visit to Africa.
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