"Every 24 hours, nearly 33,000 youth across Africa join the search for employment. About 60% will be joining the army of the unemployed. A report from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees released this month claims that seven in ten of those heading for Europe are not refugees fleeing war or persecution, but economic migrants in search of better lives.
12 August 2017, is International Youth Day. Africa's youth population is growing rapidly and is expected to reach over 830 million by 2050. Whether this spells promise or peril depends on how the continent manages its youth bulge.
According to UNDP's Africa Human Development Report for 2016, gender inequalities cost sub-Saharan Africa US$ 95 billion annually in lost revenue. Women's empowerment and gender equality needs to be at the top of national development plans". More of the article.
As we conclude our discussion on gender and agriculture, I can't help but wonder about youth, especially young women and how the AFDB can help to change their future and that of our continent.
How can we transform the despair that drives them to such decisions into an ambition to change the continent and the economic prospects for future generations?
Are we capable of reaching out to this young population?