Africa Urged to Turn Youth Population Into Economic Growth Engine

African leaders, development experts and youth representatives have called for major reforms in education, employment and investment policies to help the continent turn its growing youth population into a driver of economic growth.

The call came during discussions held alongside the African Development Bank Group's 2026 Annual Meetings in Brazzaville under the theme, "Harnessing Africa's Demographic Dividend for Accelerated Economic Transformation in Africa."

Speakers warned that Africa's expanding youth population could become a powerful economic asset or a source of instability if governments fail to create jobs, improve skills training and support entrepreneurship.

United Nations projections show that Africa's population will almost double by 2050, with young people expected to make up a large share of the global workforce.

Namibia's Finance Minister, Ericah Shafudah, said many African countries continue to train graduates for jobs that do not exist.

"We are producing more than what is actually demanded in the economy. Most countries are not able to absorb all graduates into the labour market," she said.

She said weak cooperation between governments and the private sector has worsened the mismatch between education and labour market needs.

Dr Sangheon Lee, Chief Economist at the International Labour Organization, said Africa's employment challenge is rooted in economic transformation rather than youth unemployment alone.

"The issue is the lack of productive employment. Economic growth does not automatically create opportunities," he said.

Lee noted that many young people work in low-paying and insecure jobs. He called for stronger links between education, industrial policy and labour market reforms.

Federica Diamanti of the International Fund for Agricultural Development said agriculture remains central to solving Africa's jobs challenge. However, many young people still view the sector as a low-income activity.

"The young generation does not see prosperity in agriculture," she said.

She urged governments to build stronger agricultural value chains, including processing, storage, logistics, mechanisation and digital services. She also called for more partnerships with the private sector to prepare young people for emerging industries such as artificial intelligence and digital technology.

Mouna El Jaouhari of the United Nations Office for Project Services said infrastructure gaps, weak industrialisation and fragmented investment plans continue to limit job creation across Africa.

Ben Konaté, President of the Federation of Young Entrepreneurs of Côte d'Ivoire, said education systems and social expectations still push young people towards office jobs instead of business creation and technical careers.

"We need a shift in mindsets for young Africans," he said, while calling for better access to finance, business incubation and vocational training.

Dr Jide Okeke, Director of Regional Programmes for Africa at the United Nations Development Programme, argued that Africa's main challenge is not unemployment but low productivity.

"We need to move from employment based on survival to employment based on enterprise," he said.

Bening Ahmed Wiisichong, Secretary-General of the Pan-African Youth Union, criticised the limited involvement of young people in policymaking. He called for stronger youth representation and easier movement across African countries under the African Continental Free Trade Area. He argued that visa restrictions continue to hinder opportunities for young entrepreneurs.

Throughout the discussions, participants agreed that Africa's demographic dividend will only be realised through practical reforms, stronger enterprise development and large-scale job creation.

"We should stop counting jobs and start counting value-creating enterprises," Okeke said.