A major youth empowerment initiative is gaining traction in East New Britain, with out-of-school youths in Kokopo set to benefit from cocoa farming opportunities under a coordinated national and provincial effort.
The program follows the signing of a Joint Inception and Implementation Plan (JIP) between the National Youth Development Authority (NYDA) and the East New Britain Provincial Administration.
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The partnership aims to connect young people to sustainable livelihood pathways, particularly in agriculture.
Under the initiative, youths in Kokopo District-starting with Bitapaka Local Level Government-will be engaged in an existing cocoa rehabilitation program led by the Division of Agriculture and Livestock.
Key partners include Cocoa Board PNG, the Commerce Division, Community Development Division, and NYDA.
A central feature of the rollout is NYDA’s new online youth registration platform, which will capture data from out-of-school youths across 22 wards in Kokopo, before expanding into Gazelle District.
The system is designed to gather personal profiles and align youth interests with available economic opportunities.
Sixteen district community development officers from Kokopo and Gazelle have already been trained and equipped with laptops to facilitate the registration process and coordinate youth engagement programs.
NYDA Director General Joe Itaki emphasized the importance of real-time data in driving effective youth development.
“We want to change the mindset of young people who think farming is for the poor and elderly. Young people have the energy to farm the land, and we want to see this happening in our communities,” he said.
Mr. Itaki acknowledged challenges such as access to land but stressed that the partnership aims to unlock land opportunities while supporting youth through financial literacy, banking access, and small business development.
East New Britain Provincial Administrator Levi Mano described the initiative as a holistic approach that involves churches, schools, and families in mentoring young people and promoting responsible citizenship.
“This is a significant step following the recent gun surrender by youths in Kokopo. We now want to register and mobilize them, restore dignity, and include them in our development priorities,” Mr Mano said.
The East New Britain initiative forms part of a broader national strategy led by NYDA in partnership with districts and provincial governments.
The authority is currently rolling out an e-registration system nationwide targeting out-of-school youths.
The platform captures individual interests aligned with Provincial Integrated Development Plans and links participants to appropriate empowerment pathways such as agriculture, cocoa, copra, fisheries, small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs), and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
This approach is anchored in the National Youth Engagement Strategy 2025–2029, which promotes collaboration across government agencies and the private sector.
NYDA has already signed Joint Implementation Plans with six provinces-East New Britain, West New Britain, Manus, New Ireland, East Sepik, and West Sepik-with implementation underway in key centers including Kokopo, Gazelle, and Vanimo.
Plans are in place to expand the program to other provinces throughout the year.
The initiative aligns with the vision of Prime Minister James Marape to connect out-of-school youths with meaningful economic opportunities and unlock their potential, particularly in rural communities.
By focusing on sectors such as agriculture and small business, the program aims to transform youth participation in the economy and promote long-term development across Papua New Guinea.