The official launch ceremony for the insertion of 200 young people trained in market gardening—part of the Project for Youth Integration into Green Trades (PROJEV)—took place this past Wednesday in the Farcha Kuwaiti space, located in N’Djamena’s first arrondissement. The event was jointly organized by the N’Djamena City Council and the National Employment Promotion Office (ONAPE).

Mahamat Alhafiz Idriss, Head of the ONAPE Agricultural Credit Department, highlighted that the project’s core mission is to equip young people with skills that will enable them to establish income-generating activities. Djamal Moussa Yaya, Mayor of the first arrondissement, praised the collaborative efforts between institutions to address youth unemployment.

Nassouradine Abakar Kessou, Director General of ONAPE, emphasized that Chad faces a critical challenge: youth employment. Despite the country’s vast potential, unemployment and underemployment rates among young people remain alarmingly high. In response, training and integrating youth into green professions emerge as a vital strategy for creating sustainable job opportunities.

Seid Adji Seid, Deputy Chief of Staff for the N’Djamena City Council—representing Mayor Sanoussi Hassana Abdoulaye—stressed that the MIDI Plan, structured around five pillars (civic values, quality practical training, entrepreneurial support, urban agricultural transition, and cultural industry promotion), represents the municipality’s proactive response to the legitimate aspirations of young people seeking dignified livelihoods.

Addressing the beneficiaries, Seid Adji Seid declared, “From this moment forward, you are no longer job seekers waiting for opportunities; you are now ambassadors of ecological transition for our capital city. The green trades you are entering today are not temporary solutions—they are professions that harmonize economic growth, environmental preservation, and the well-being of our fellow citizens.”

Following their technical training, the 200 young participants will be assigned to a ten-hectare site where they will practice market gardening.