AUTHOR : RFLD RESEARCH TEAM
For decades, Africa, a continent with great development potential, has been faced with a dilemma to which collective and individual actions are trying to find a way out: Erect a ladder or dig an abyss for its youth? This unconscious question is reflected in politicians’ fear of seeing young people drift off course after having everything handed to them on a platter thanks to the ladder, or of seeing them sink without hope after having been plunged into an abyss from which they had to deploy themselves in order to escape and realize their full potential by accomplishing immense feats. We advocate building an inclusive ladder like that Tower of Babel that was feared even by God; for when the path is open and the final outcome is beneficial to all, individual capacities develop and unfold to their fullest.
- But how are we going to build this ladder for young people?
- What are the pillars on which to build?
- What are the areas and fields of action favorable to youth development on the African continent?
It is said that all men are born equal, with the same inalienable rights to fulfillment and accomplishment. In our African societies, this right to fulfillment takes the form of a productive active life, either through a decent job, or the ownership of a flourishing business that actively contributes to the well-being of the family and stimulates the economy, creating jobs and supporting works of all kinds. It is at this level that the duty of politicians towards the city is expressed, and more particularly towards its youth, which is the spearhead of any nation.
L’Organisation des Nations Unies, par son assemblé générale, ainsi que tous les organes de cette institution se sont accordés avec les gouvernement pour porter comme objectifs mondiaux et priorités de développement la création d’emplois décents pour tous et le renforcement des partenariats entre les institutions pour une globalisation plus effective, comme le confère les Objectifs pour le Développement Durable[1]. Alors, comment pouvons-nous traduire ces conventions au niveau continental et en assurer leur réussite ?
Education at the heart of development
All development and evolution requires the mastery and application of advanced skills, abilities and knowledge, past and present. For this reason, priority must be given to capacity building for young Africans. This can be achieved at three different levels. Firstly, it is crucial to initiate a comprehensive reform of Africa’s education sector, so that it is more up-to-date and responsive to the dynamics of today’s economic, environmental and social issues, as well as to the realities of the labor market in the African context. Because as the world evolves, certain sectors – such as agriculture, transport and communications – affected by the digital technologies that have radically transformed our societies’ lifestyles, have become sectors with high growth potential. It’s important to take these considerations into account in educational and technical and vocational training policies in Africa.
In Africa today, and everywhere else, the contemporary illiterate is no longer someone who can’t read, write or count, but someone who can’t use a computer. Some would go further and say that the contemporary illiterate is the one who cannot write a line of digital code. We therefore believe that skills in this sector should be a priority for training in Africa. Secondly, we need to strengthen technical institutions and sectoral bodies working on youth empowerment issues at all levels, so that they are equipped to improve and strengthen the capabilities of young graduates, and guide them towards more relevant and sustainable empowerment.
Finally, we believe that the creation of a continental platform and the harmonization of university curricula and vocational and technical training is an alternative enabling continental cooperation in Africa for the south-south transfer of knowledge and skills and the promotion of holistic sustainable development.
Skills for the job, not the closet
As well as restructuring education in line with the continent’s job market, it is equally important to take the necessary steps and appropriate measures to offer employment to young people whose skills and abilities are strengthened and enhanced.
This brings us back to the duty of the above-mentioned policies towards society and, above all, towards young people, which in this case is applicable at two levels and depends on a strong political will to create lasting change. On the one hand, we need institutions to support the professional integration of young graduates, with an objective program and agenda in terms of job creation and development in the short, medium and long term, acting as permanent bridges between jobseekers and the companies that provide these jobs. These institutions would be an essential link in understanding the dynamics of the African labor market.
On the other hand, governments need to draw up fiscal measures and put in place legal and administrative mechanisms to encourage the establishment of industries, and the opening of large-scale subsidiaries of multinationals and international companies, in order to promote job creation in line with current economic trends and agreements. This is where an African employment platform comes into its own. It will promote skills transfer and cooperation on a continental scale.
The age of innovation is not yet over
We also know that entrepreneurship is the central pillar of a country’s economic development. The private sector is the lifeblood of a country’s economy. This is why it remains essential to undertake institutional reforms aimed at :
- Promoting innovation: it is the desire to improve the living conditions of the human race that gave rise to the greatest inventions, the benefits of which we still enjoy today. This capacity for innovation must be supported, shared, nurtured and promoted in all spheres (politics, education, justice, administration, etc.), and this is possible with strong, relevant legislation supported by our States. The spirit of innovation is the ground from which creativity and technology take flight. Africa must not remain on the sidelines of this boom, and has a role to play, given that there is still much that can be transformed and improved on the continent.
- Promoting the entrepreneurial spirit: in addition to skills and competencies, the legal, institutional and economic framework and support conditions must be put in place to lead the continent’s youth down the path of entrepreneurship, especially as the fields and fields of action are many and varied. This potential needs to be deployed and supported in Africa, even more so than in Europe and America, where we are witnessing the innovations, products, businesses and growth of these economies, driven by their enterprising and dynamic youth, supported by a banking system that favors entrepreneurship, and made possible by the actions of legislators and politicians. Because business development means more jobs, a more flourishing economy and more sustainable development for Africa.
- Promoting civic participation: over and above their right to fulfillment, young people must contribute to supporting the economy and social justice, which is a civic duty. We believe that the establishment of this multi-dimensional context in our African states and countries is the right framework for more active participation by the continent’s youth in its development.
The field of action is presented as a logical and complementary sequence of legal provisions and a political will to build an autonomous, dynamic and sustainable youth. We can therefore conclude that the road to empowering African youth begins with action from the top, whose orientations must be defined according to global issues, but adapted to the African context. The full potential of these young people can only be realized when each and every one of them has the chance to benefit from the same opportunities, and to make an active contribution to achieving local and regional economic development goals. The commitment to make this goal a reality must come from every party treading the soil of our beloved continent. We must all work to build this ladder for our Africa.
[1] https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/fr/objectifs-de-developpement-durable/
