“Young Africans are playing an active role in bringing social change in the continent. They are contributing daily to the benefit of their communities and nations across Africa.”
Africa boasts the world’s youngest population with more than sixty percent of its children aged below 25. It is estimated that by 2030, young Africans are expected to constitute 42% of global youth. For any policymaker this is obviously seen as a challenge: more mouths to feed, more bodies to keep healthy, millions of jobseekers waiting in line. Importantly, there are concerns about how to equip the youth for an increasingly evolving youth knowledge economy.
It goes without saying that this youthful energy of over million people aged between 15 and 35 is a powerful resource and greatly influences the characteristic of Africa with the young Africans ensuring their presence is felt as they keep making their mark in all sectors of society.
The projections are that this ever-increasing youth population in Africa will have doubled by the year 2050 according to the estimates given by Cities Alliance. For that reason, young people in African are a force that cannot be ignored. They are a force to reckon with.
Being full of talent, passion, and a drive to make a difference, young Africans are the continent’s biggest resources and are progressively taking their position at the centre of the development agenda in the region. Their importance and recognition are so much so that a day has been set aside to mark and celebrate their presence and contribution in the continent. in 2006 at the Banjul Summit, Gambia, the African Youth Charter was adopted through an Executive Council Decision when the 1st of November was established as ‘African Youth Day (AyD).
This celebration has taken place ever since. The day recognises a unified voice of African young people, which aims to increase awareness of, commitment to and investment in youth; increase and strengthen youth participation and partnerships, as well as increase intercultural exchanges and understanding among young people.
Stable employment among the African is increasingly becoming an important agenda that cannot be ignored. The African youth are not passive to this challenging situation. They have taken it upon themselves to respond to the need for innovative and sustainable ways to support their own employment. So many of Africa’s creative and diligent young people have been inspired to take charge of their own future, coming up with innovative solutions to keep themselves employed and actively engaged.
Indeed, in innovation and entrepreneurship, African youth are increasingly taking an active role in shaping their future. These young people are equipping themselves with skills beyond the classroom while being exposed to new and different career paths; this presents an opportunity for them to be not just beneficiaries of transformation in the continent but also protagonists in their various ways.
They make use of the various platforms available that serve as tools for this purpose. With continued expansion of these platforms, more young Africans will be able to access opportunities, Iearn, and explore intraregional opportunities. Young African entrepreneurs are involved in promising sectors such as financial services and the tech ecosystem thereby creating transformative solutions. The future is indeed bright: With the digital advancements of the last decade, the proliferation of digital technology and skills have drastically improved the lives of young people and offered unprecedented access to opportunities once hard to reach.
The rate at which these young people are starting businesses is unprecedented. New technologies are being developed by them, new products are being created and new solutions to old problems are being sought and found. Such is the mark of the African youth. From tech startups to social enterprises, young Africans are changing the face of the continent’s economy.
In major African cities, just to give an example, such as Accra, Nairobi or Cairo, fully fledged start-up scenes are disrupting our perspective and changing how we think about African agriculture, industry, Information Technology (IT) and sustainability. In majority of cases, these businesses are spearheaded by Africans under the age of 3S. The year 202Iwas a record-breaking year for Africa’s start-up scene, which assured over $2 billion in funding. The African Development Bank (AfDB) attributes this mostly to “large economies and sizeable populations”.
Young Africans also play an active role in bringing social change in the continent. They are contributing daily to the benefit of their communities and nations across Africa. From providing support to the elderly, to advocating for justice and equality, young people have proven their centrality to building and sustaining healthy communities. It is very clear to them that the responsibility to create opportunities lies within each individual.
African youth understand that no one will hand them success on a silver platter. Instead, they are harnessing the power within themselves and taking action to shape their own destinies. They are actively involved in the formation of, running of and maintaining social change movements. They are fighting for equality, justice, and human rights. They provide leadership in shaping a continent where the common good is respected.
We see young people in Africa leading in the formation of environmental groups. It is clear to them that they have to build the future they desire and they are doing exactly that. In terms of arts and culture, the young Africans are rescuing and building on whatever remains of the African culture.
While producing some of the most vibrant and exciting art, music, and literature in the world, the young Africans are creating an integral culture which is fit for everyone and where everyone can fit. They are expressing their unique identities and experiences through their creativity. The clear message coming out in their expression of culture is that we need to build a culture where everyone has a sense of belonging.
It is evident that African youth continue to show that they are innovative, creative, and diligent in seeing their ideas come to life. However, in order to hasten the development of their capacities and reap the fruits of their efforts, there is a need to strengthen relationships with the youth, and equip them with the spaces needed to amplify their voices to audiences of influence while confronting the existing barriers that compromise meaningful youth engagement.
We have all the reason to celebrate our African youth. They are making their future. They have ignited the flame of progress and they are fanning it each day to ensure that the path that leads to a brighter future is well lit. Their passion and determination have clearly opened up the continent’s potential. Indeed, they are rewriting the narrative. Taking ownership of their narrative, the African youth have empowered themselves to build the continent from within strengthened and supported by the networks they build. Africa is no longer seen as a struggling continent without potential. The celebrated achievements of the African youth prove that Africa is rising to glory and turning more and more to a continent of opportunities. By embracing their potential and taking ownership of their actions, the African youth are guiding the continent toward a future filled with hope and promise.
(John Webootsa)
