By Lucy Ng’andu

National Youth Network has asked the government to urgently address myriad of challenges that are negatively affecting the country’s majority youthful population.

The Network’s chairperson Yamikani Chiphazi has singled out low representation of youth in key decision-making positions and high unemployment rates as some of the challenges rocking young people across Malawi.

Chiphazi, who was speaking yesterday in Lilongwe during the unveiling of 2023-2028 National Youth Policy, said young people are catalysts for change towards achieving the country’s blueprint, Malawi 2063.

Speaking during the launch, President Lazarus Chakwera said his government is fully committed to ensuring that the country’s young people are not only economically empowered but also protected from violence, abuse, discrimination and exploitation.

The Malawi leader assured the majority youthful population that his administration would do anything within his power to ensure the implementation of the policy benefits all the young people across the country.

Chakwera also pleaded with Malawians to refrain from poor mindset of taking advantage of young people by giving out some incredible directions to follow when serving the youth, like ensuring that youth-led programmes are driven by local governance structures.

The launched revised policy is a strategic framework that will guide young people for the next five years.