Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ghana’s Vice President, has urged African nations to tackle mass unemployment, which threatens social cohesion, peace, and stability.
Dr. Bawumia said at the YouthConnekt Africa Summit 2021 that greater investment in young people via quality and diverse education and training may help to alleviate unemployment.
He emphasized that Africa’s increasing population does not ensure economic progress, but rather strategic investment and development modules, as shown by the Asian Tigers and Costa Rica, could serve as inspirations.
Touting the accomplishments of the Nana Akufo-Addo administration in the digitization of national identities and address systems, he revealed that by 2022, Ghana and Google would have reached an agreement to incorporate the country’s digital address system into Google Maps.
The summit’s theme was “Africa Beyond Aid: Positioning the Youth for the Post-Economy and AfCFTA Opportunities.”
Wankel Keabetswe Nebe, Secretary-General of AfCFTA, said that the full implementation of AfCFTA would create a favorable climate for companies, particularly Medium and Small-Scale Enterprises, to trade across nations.
“If AfCFTA leaves behind women, vulnerable groups and young people it will not be successful”, he remarked and called for “action steps to make young people benefit from the initiative” as about 100 million people will be taken out of poverty and lead to entirely removing extreme poverty from the continent.
In his address, Patrice Tihopane Motsepe, President of the Confederation of African Football, urged African governments to create an education system that provides “young people with skills relevant in the fourth industrial revolution” as well as opportunities “where young people see themselves as employers.”
“One of the things we have learned is that we should populate our curricular in close partnership with private sector and investors to make sure that from an African Youth perspective we provide the skills where the youth do not only invite opportunities but see themselves as employers and entrepreneurs,” he said.
He also urged African youth to acquire self-confidence in order to compete on a global level.
The UN Resident in Ghana, Charles Abani, emphasized that African youth are not a homogeneous group and that governments must strive to listen to them and guarantee that no one is left behind, despite the fact that the “UN is already doing a lot via UNDP, UNFPA, UN-Habitat, and so on.”
“The youth are not the problem, but part of the solution” and need reinforced resources because they don’t have the support like existing businesses.
As a result, “Ghana Beyond Aid requires new investment and private sector growth,” he said.
YouthConnekt Africa Hub Executive Director, Oulie Keita, Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Ussif, UN Resident Coordinator, Ghana, Charles Abani, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Republic of Ghana, H.E LIM Jung-Taek, Representative of Rwanda, and NYA were among the other dignitaries present at the summit.
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