LUSAKA, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government said on Wednesday that it has prioritized funding for youth entrepreneurship and innovative projects as part of efforts to enhance job creation.
Emmanuel Mulenga, Minister of Youth, Sport and Child Development said young people were keen to create employment through innovative projects and required government support.
The Zambian minister, who is in Kigali, Rwanda attending the Regional YouthConnekt Conference, said the government will support youth innovation projects, according to a release.
The government, he said, was interested in the development of an App by a youth entrepreneur named Reagan Phiri that tracks phones and other devices for purposes of crime prevention as well as another project by another youth who has invented a smart stove that operates on low electricity power.
He commended Rwandan President Paul Kagame who has commissioned Africa's first smart phone factory, an innovation by young people.
The Zambian minister is among representatives of 30 African countries that are meeting in Rwanda to discuss the best practices of Rwanda's YouthConnekt Initiative, according to the statement.
The conference has attracted about hundreds of youths from 100 youth organizations from across Africa.
YouthConnekt is a successful multi-faceted program seeking to empower young people and connect them with opportunities in the public and private sectors and civil society.
