Embrace Africa's youth as catalysts for growth

Youth during anti-tax protests in Nairobi. [File, Standard]

Africa's youth are not a problem to be solved, but an asset to be harnessed. Across the continent, a deeply flawed narrative persists-one that portrays young people as disengaged, entitled or burdensome.

From the bustling streets of Lagos to the innovation hubs of Nairobi, from the resilient communities of the Sahel to the vibrant townships of Johannesburg, the disillusionment of youth is often blamed on their supposed apathy toward politics or frustration with the status quo.

Yet this criticism ignores the broader structural and other realities shaping their experiences. Such a narrative is not just unhelpful-it is fundamentally misguided. Africa's youth are the greatest untapped asset of the continent, they are the architects of today's transformation. They need recognition for their potential as well as tangible opportunities to realise this. Africa is the youngest continent, with over 60 per cent of our population under 25 years. By 2050, one in three young people globally will be African. This reality presents a monumental challenge and an unparalleled opportunity. This is not a crisis, but our greatest strategic advantage.

The challenges are real: Youth unemployment and underemployment consistently plague nations from Nigeria to Tunisia, from Kenya to South Africa, with rates often soaring above 30 per cent in some regions. Millions of educated young people graduate each year into economies ill-equipped to absorb their potential. This fuels internal migration, brain drain, and exposes youth to the lures of extremist ideologies among other vices. But these challenges are not born of youth failure-they are rooted in deep systemic shortcomings: under-resourced education systems, governance gaps, lack of economic diversification, limited industrialisation, and insufficient access to capital. To seize the moment, we must shift from condemning youth to empowering them. A rising youth population could translate into a powerful demographic dividend-fueling innovation, social cohesion, and sustainable development across Africa. But this will only happen if we envision our youth as co-creators in Africa's future.

Within this context, the upcoming CorpsAfrica All-Country Conference (ACC 2025), set to convene in Nairobi this June, takes on continental significance. This forum is more than a meeting-it is a call to action for policymakers, educators, civil society leaders, and the private sector to realign around youth-driven transformation.

CorpsAfrica's model, which empowers young Africans to serve in under-resourced communities within their own countries, offers a bold departure from conventional development paradigms. It is an approach that centres African agency-where youth work with rural communities to facilitate community meetings. They identify local needs and assets, co-create and co-design sustainable small-scale but high-impact projects while mobilising local resources, leading to grassroots sustainable development.

Entrusting significant responsibility to young people through co-creation, mutual learning and Human-Centred Design (HCD) can empower them to become impactful agents of change. This is not charity; it is leadership in its truest, most Pan-African form.

This immersive volunteering service fosters empathy and understanding between educated urban youth and rural communities, bridging divides and building national cohesion. Young volunteers gain critical skills in leadership, project management, community-building and resilience.

Africa's development will not be imported-it will be imagined, built, and sustained by Africans. And our youth are central to that mission.

-The writer is Kenya Country Director, CorpsAfrica