SPECIAL REPORT: Is a new youth-centred Africa upon us? Abundant Africa is leading the charge

Africa has variously been described as blessed with a key demographic dividend— its youth. A collection of energetic, driven, skilled and aspiring population, Africa’s youth is notably leading significant positive change in many different spheres. From technology and entertainment to sports and finance, the youth is helping to define a new, more honourable path for Africa.

Sadly, the system, for the most part, has not been favourable enough for the youth. The African youth has generally been systemically limited, sometimes through deliberate policies, other times through a lack of youth-interest awareness by the ruling class dominated by the older generation.

Legal and financial barriers to full participation in politics and governance; institutionalisation of traditional as opposed to innovative approaches to policy formulation and implementation in governance, education, business and environment, have largely been the hallmarks of the daunting reality the African youth is confronted with.

But Abundant Africa, an initiative backed by Tearfund, is building a coalition of development-focused organisations to challenge Africa’s establishment towards a shift to a new, more inclusive sustainable economic system that prioritises the youth. The drive towards a new socio-economic system for Africa is one anchored on the firm belief that Africa is strategically positioned to lead the global journey for change. But this is only possible if Africa activates the inclusion of all the vital components of its blessed population, especially its youth— all 226 million of them and counting.

It is this push for a youth-centred restorative economy and transformative socio-political system that led Abundant Africa to challenge African leaders under the auspices of the African Union to begin a new chapter for the continent’s youth.

In a powerful letter titled, ‘Silence the Guns —Not the Youth’, Abundant Africa strongly admonished African leaders to refocus their efforts on the crucial area of youth inclusion, reversing the long streak of counter-productive policies and programmes that failed to make the youth a vital part of their agenda. The letter brought to the fore, once again, the great attributes of African youths and how, despite limitations, they have been able to achieve great things for the continent and the world.

In an exclusive chat with Ripples Nigeria, Africa’s award-winning multimedia online news platform, on the overall agenda of Abundant Africa and the all-important goal of achieving youth inclusion across the continent, Oscar Danladi, one of the representatives of Abundant Africa in Nigeria, defended the agenda passionately. He argued that African youths had long been sidelined to the detriment of the continent.

Read also: ‘Youths protest has gone beyond #ENDSARS or #ENDSWAT. It’s about a better Nigeria,’ ADC tells FG

Challenged on whether African youths, by appealing to government for inclusion, were waiting for handouts instead of working their way to the centre of things, he pushed back by discussing the systemic constraints that held African youths back. He focused on policies, laws and conventions that served as barriers to youth participation in critical areas of development. From politics and governance to business and education, he highlighted gaps in inclusion and recommended that the youth continue to mount pressure on their leaders to bridge the gaps.

In politics, for instance, he mentioned finance and age restrictions as key barriers to youth inclusion. Commending efforts by the Not Too Young To Run movement in closing some gaps in age restrictions in Nigeria, he called for more reforms especially around finance.

Ripples Nigeria and its non-profit sister organisation, Ripples Centre for Data and Investigative Journalism (RCDIJ), in keeping with our commitment to expand access for all members of society, especially the disadvantaged, and accentuate the voices of all, have pledged collaboration with Abundant Africa to give force to the drive for greater youth inclusion, a restorative economy, and a stable, peaceful political system in Africa. This is a pledge we intend to honour!

Abundant Africa’s full letter to African leaders at the AU Summit is below:

Dear President Cyril Ramaphosa, African Union Heads of State and Governments,

Silence the Guns – Not the Youth

As a collective of young people from across the continent of Africa we call on you to urgently work with youth to address the systemic issues that have disempowered our generation. As young Africans, over 226 million and counting, we are stuck in a period of our lives that the 2019 Ibrahim Forum Report called the “waithood”. But we wish to escape this state of waithood; we have bold dreams of the Africa we want instead.

The Africa we want to live in, is one that sees every young person involved in its development and flourishing. We want to see young Africans from all the African states, enabled to join hands and work collectively, in peace and in unity. We want to use those hands, our strengths and the power of our minds to collectively, creatively and innovatively raise Africa up to great heights and with our abundant resources, be a blessing to the world.

We could not put it better than African Union itself in The African Youth Charter, where you declare yourselves “CONVINCED that Africa’s greatest resource is its youthful population and that through their active and full participation, Africans can surmount the difficulties that lie ahead.” We young people agree with this statement and desire an active and full participation – but this has been denied us. These are some concrete ways in which youth can be empowered to build a better future that will bless the whole continent, and we are ready to work with you in making these a reality.

Firstly, we call for a reprioritisation around youth inclusion. We call on African Union Heads of State and Governments to enable genuine youth participation in public life, especially in: governance, policy making, and economic development. Despite the vast majority of our African populations being youthful, we do not see ourselves in current leadership. The AU Youth Decade 2009-2018 Plan of Action states “Empowerment means having the ability for supporting enabling conditions under which young people can act on their own behalf, and on their own terms, rather than at the direction of others.” The decade has passed and yet the young people around Africa are still seeking this empowerment.

Secondly, we call for a bold commitment to safeguard future generations through an eco-system of locally controlled ‘future funds’. African countries are blessed with natural resources and human talent. We call on the African Union to mandate all African countries to set up and fund a network of future funds that local communities can use to build strong, inclusive and environmentally sustainable economic opportunities for youth and coming generations.

Thirdly, we call for an overhaul of the antiquated rote educational approach, and a transition to methods that enhance critical thinking, learning and problem solving. As part of this transition we need an enabling environment, including digital infrastructure, created to elevate entrepreneurship and innovation; natural strengths of African youth. These changes will empower young Africans to compete in a global economy.

Lastly, but urgently, we call for an end to the unfair and unjust profiling and targeting of young people in National security operations. Police and security forces brutality is commonly focused on the young. We demand the right to peacefully and constructively call for change without being endangered; rights enshrined in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

We submit these calls to you reflecting an eager and ready ability amongst young people to work with African leaders for the betterment of all Africans.

God bless you all. God bless Africa.

Dated this 4th day of December 2020.

Signed:

Oscar Fwangmun Danladi, Nigeria
Ulan Garba Matta, Nigeria
Racheal Purity Wambui, Kenya
Malango Kayira, Zambia
Sarah A. Namiiro, Uganda
Emmanuel Kimbe, Zambia
Daniel Kayemba, Uganda
Lungu Collins, Zambia
Musamba Mubanga, Zambia
Sinan Kitagenda, Uganda
Charles Bakolo, Malawi
Grace Sichula, Malawi
Peter Kolani, Malawi
Thobeka Dodo, South Africa

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