Africa Beyond Aid: Positioning the Youth for the Post COVID Economy and AfCFTA Opportunities

I am delighted to join you on this occasion and privileged for a number of reasons:

The powerful vision of self-reliant nations, thriving and beyond aid, is a bold and ambitious one. It takes courage and foresight to have this. Ladies and gentlemen, we are privileged to be in the same room today with two leaders who dare to believe and go further to take action. We are proud of you Mr. Presidents.

As Rwanda hands over, there couldn’t have been a nation more poised, more aware of the power of Youth and the opportunity than Ghana!!! As our country receives this baton, it is also handing over and preparing Ethiopia to host the upcoming Africa Youth SDGs Summit in December.

I am privileged to be in Ghana at this time experiencing the unrelenting ambition and resilience of all of Ghana in difficult times!!

I would like to thank President Akufo-Addo and President Kagame for their visionary leadership to position young people of this country and the continent to harness their full potential. Indeed, the continent needs young innovators and entrepreneurs to spur Africa to achieve economic growth and industrialization. To the organizers of the summit, we say ‘Ayekoo’.

Mr. President, distinguished guests and delegates, Ladies and gentlemen,

Young people are the engine of new ideas and ways of doing things - and new ideas and brilliant ideas are at the core of breakthrough success. We need to encourage and embrace youth as an asset now - for recovery and the future of promise, not despair, that this continent so desperately needs.

Indeed, COVID 19 has set Africa back in significantly powerful ways particularly on the SDG and growth. At a time when governments need large sums of resources to meet pressing health and public sector needs, they also contend with one of the most unprecedented fiscal pressures of our time. The World Bank has predicted that economic growth in Africa will fall significantly pushing the region into its first recession in 25 years making up to 40 million people into extreme poverty.[1] This is really unprecedented. Young people are faced with under- and un-employment, low skills development, inadequate access to financial resources for their businesses. Without doubt, the pandemic makes achieving the SDGs much harder.

Yet, Africa can build back better if a transformative pathway is taken. The crisis gives us a true opportunity to map a different course, one that recognizes the deep fissures in the current direction and integrates solutions to combat parallel environmental, social and economic crises.

And the government is leading CARES Obaatanpa Programme, especially on jobs creation for Ghana’s teeming young people – post COVID, the agric value chain, procurement among others. This is an important plank of the broader strategy to support youth have a better stake in Ghana’s vision. It is for this reason that Ghana has been selected as a fast track country by the UN Youth Envoy.

But even within the context of this inspirational positivity, let us not lose sight of the challenges. Youth are not a homogenous group (men, women, those with disabilities, refugees, migrants, the urban and rural) and we must endeavor to hear all voices, adjusting intentionally to accommodate all young people and ensure no one is left behind.

The UN is doing much already. And they are stepping up, I have met youth supported by UNICEF, UNHCR, UNDP, UNCDF at the forefront of building new businesses that lean forward into the future - with the like of Andrew, and Esther harnessing digital, environmental and circular economy opportunities, undaunted by the challenges; I have met young people supported by Habitat and UNFPA being at the centre of regeneration efforts in Gamashie and Kumasi, and been proud of articulate young people like Patience Agyeman working on issues of the environment and Climate confidently. Similarly, I have experienced the infectious energy of young people engaged through UNFPAs innovative YOLE fellowship. If you just look around you, this inspiration is real and palpable. I am hopeful.

We are continuously providing cutting-edge policy and technical support to government to reflect on and design strategies, policies, and programmes needed to tackle emerging challenges and to create opportunities for young people.

But we can do more and better and will use the process of our review, analysis and the development of our new country cooperation framework to articulate an accountable target through our relationship with young people in Ghana.

AFTCA provides a ring-fencing opportunities for youth. This is an important strand that nurtures young people and incubates the success of a new generation of Africans- taking their place globally. It is an instrument and a gateway to attaining Africa’s industrialization Goals and enhanced market access for young people to recover better.

As we create the platform for engagement on AfCFTA, we need to ensure that we co-create initiatives with our young people and facilitate their participation in decision making to ensure no one is left behind. Bridging the digital divide remains a critical and opportunities for intra-African trade will accelerate opportunities to empower the youth and women, creating alternative livelihood options for young people and better returns for our country.

At this juncture, I would like to reiterate the UN’s commitment and to thank UNDP, UNCT, Ministry of Youth and Sports, National Youth Authority and all partners for your efforts.

An empowered youth is where young people are driving things. In this we pray to God to give us, the older generation, the wisdom to know when and how to support and also the wisdom to know what not to meddle, when not to get into the way and stifle your efforts.

The youth are not a problem!! They are a significant part of the solution – indeed the future is in our young people – and the future is now.

Thank you and wishing you a fruitful deliberation.

[1] World Bank’s Response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus) in Africa