Reimagining Youth Skills Development for Africa’s Future
By Khalifa Hemed
Published September 9, 2022
Though Africa is said to have the youngest, fastest-growing population in the world, with more than 400 million people aged 15 to 35 years, the continent is also plagued by high levels of unemployment and limited educational opportunities for the youth.
Africa Frontiers of Innovation, a monthly discussion series whose aim is to inspire creative solutions to contemporary challenges in Africa, has explored ways of equipping Africa’s young people with skills for contributing to Africa’s development.
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The discussion that is presented by Canon, an imaging (photography and videography) equipment maker, brought together Kenyan author Lizz Ntonjira, Nigerian youth advocate Dr Babangida Ruma and Nairobi-based broadcaster Victoria Rubadiri to unpack youth skills development on the continent.
“In the light of the recent UN World Youth Skills Day, we wanted to reimagine the future for Africa’s next generation,” says Mai Youssef, Corporate Communications Director at Canon.
Unemployment is one of the greatest challenges facing young people across Africa, with the World Bank estimating that North Africa and the Middle East are the regions with the highest youth unemployment.
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“Without work, skills-development opportunities are limited. The importance of finding ways to give young people work experience cannot be overstated,” stresses Rubadiri during her discussion moderation.
“For Africa to participate successfully in the fourth industrial revolution, our youth need digital skills and infrastructure,” says Dr Ruma.
“Some curricula are 30 years old, but jobs have evolved. We need to start nurturing these in-demand skills from a young age,” said Ntonjira. “Learners are led to believe if they study hard, they will get a good job when they leave school or university. Then, when they graduate and can’t find a job, they are told to become entrepreneurs, but they have not been taught any business skills.”
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“Apprenticeship and mentorship don’t happen enough on the African context,” Ntonjira,
founder of Lizz Ntonjira Network that seeks to inspire youth and create more opportunities for them, says.
Challenging the business community to find ways to integrate young people, Ntonjiri urges mentees to ‘e proactive, seek out suitable mentors, learn from them and build connections’.
Canon, that says Public-private partnerships are effective, says its Miraisha programme trains youth from poorly-resourced communities in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast with practical, marketable imaging skills.
“Africa’s youth can play a key role in building businesses, creating jobs, providing value, and innovating – things which Africa desperately needs,” says Youssef. “Miraisha gives them the skills, resources and support to leverage the power of imaging and see their ideas come to life.”
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“Google provides quality digital skills training online for free,” says Dr Ruma, founder of Digital Skills Bank that focuses on bridging the gap between job seekers and job providers. “Once completed, there are millions of opportunities out there for digital-savvy Africans.”
Concurring, Ntonjira says, “Many people have achieved a lot with very little, simply using social media to create their own brands and content.”
Africa Frontiers of Innovation series, that brings together influential academics and pioneers of change to discuss innovation, opportunities and challenges impacting the African continent, has been hosted by Canon Central and North Africa since 2020.
