With 60 percent of the African population projected to be under 25 years by 2050, it has been forecasted that the continent would be home to 452 million people under the age of 25. However, their drive, ambition and potentials for the continent are said to be at risk of being squandered.
This is premised on the fact that too many young Africans feel devoid of economic prospects and robbed of any say on the future of their own continent, the commodity cycle may have fuelled GDP growth for many African countries but it has created almost no jobs.
This is contained in a forum report tagged: “Africa at a Tipping point,” by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation ahead of the 2017 Ibrahim Forum, which is part of the Foundation’s annual governance weekend to be held in Marrakech, Morocco on April 8.
It further states that young people have spent more years in school but few have been effectively equipped with the skills the economy needs, despite having some of the most educated populations, with gross enrolment ratios in tertiary education over 30 percent. Egypt and Tunisia also have some of the highest youth unemployment rates on the continent, greater than 30 percent.
Terrorism has become a well-organised multi-billion dollar criminal enterprise with growing control over the drugs trade, people trafficking and other parts of the black market. The jobs, status, income and feeling of “belonging” it seemingly offers to young people cut off from the mainstream economy may be more attractive that the ideology itself.
According to the Foundation, over the last 10 years, while Africa’s real GDP has grown at an annual average of 4.5 percent, youth unemployment levels have remained high. Despite being the second-largest African economy, South Africa is not able to provide jobs for more than half of its youth population.
Chairman of the Foundation, Mo Ibrahim, says that: “The energy and ambition of Africa’s young people is our greatest resource and best hope for strengthening our continent’s progress. But their expectations could turn into frustration and anger unless they find a job and get a chance to influence their own future. Africa stands at a tipping point. The decisions taken now will decide whether our continent continues to rise or falls back. More than ever, wise leadership and sound governance are key.”
The report however, sets the stage for high-level discussions between leaders from the public and private arenas, as well as influential partners based outside the continent where the Forum will address three priority areas that require leadership and sound governance
These areas include: The appeal of violent extremism and migration, the risk of a democratic recession and the need for an inclusive economic growth.
Among some of the speakers expected are Akinwumi Adesina, President, African Development Bank, Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Youssef Amrani, Minister-Delegate for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Abdoulie Bathily, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Central Africa, Aliko Dangote, President and CEO, Dangote Group, Moulay Hafid El Alamy, Minister of Industry, Trade, & New Technologies, Morocco, Jean-Marie Guehenno, President and CEO, International Crisis Group, Sello Hatang, CEO, Nelson Mandela Foundation, Mo Ibrahim, Founder and Chair, Mo Ibrahim Foundation, Martin Kobler, Head of United Nations Support Mission in Libya, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Senior Advisor, Lazard, Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mark Malloch-Brown, Chair, Commission on Business and Sustainable Development, Paul Polman, CEO, Unilever and Lamido Sanusi, Emir of Kano Emirate
Abdelamalek Alaoui, Founder and CEO, Guepard Group, Zeinab Badawi, Presenter, BBC HardTalk and Jendayi Fraser, President and CEO of 50 Ventures, LLC would also be moderating the meeting.
The Ibrahim Governance Weekend is the flagship event of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, held every year in a different African hub.
The three-day event convenes prominent African and Africa-focused political and business leaders, representatives from civil society, multilateral and regional institutions as well as Africa’s major international partners to identify specific policy challenges and discuss priorities for action.
