The Minister for Youth and ICT, Jean Philbert Nsengimana, has challenged the newly elected executive committee for National Youth Council to work smart and hard to achieve goals that will empower the young generation.

He said this on Monday during a handover ceremony to the new committee that was elected in the just concluded polls.

The minister thanked the outgoing committee for the job well done but reminded them that they still have the responsibility to work with the new committee to collectively tackle challenges faced by the youth in the country.

"You must do everything to continue empowering the youth. Now that they entrusted you with the responsibilities to lead them, do not let them down,” he told the new committee.

"You should be open to new ideas, be innovative and above all, you will need to work smart,” he told them.

Norbert Shyerezo, the outgoing NYC coordinator pledged to support his successors in case they need help and thanked his team for the hard work.

Speaking after swearing in, Clarisse Uwanyirgira, the new coordinator said that her team will focus on job creation and setting up saving schemes among the youth.

"There are concerns of unemployment among the youth. We will be looking at how the youth in their respective villages can start saving,” she said.

She added that the other focus will be on ensuring no Rwandan youth remain on streets as a destitute, saying that it all comes with empowerment.

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