Addis Ababa — The African Union (AU) is recognizing the continent's youth persistent unemployment crisis and officials called for bold actions to address Africa's employment challenges through industrialization and innovation.
A three-day Third African Job Creation Forum, jointly organized by the African Union (AU), the Ethiopian government, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, is underway in Addis Ababa.
The forum is themed "Advancing Job Creation and Economic Resilience through Regional Integration, Digital and Financial Inclusion along Agricultural Value Chains in the AfCFTA Market."
Given that more than 60% of Africa's population is under 25, addressing youth employment through sustainable job creation is essential for securing the continent's economic future and social harmony, it was learned.
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In his keynote address to the forum, Ethiopia's Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh noted that Africa is a continent full of youth and dreams.
"Our young people are not a burden. They are our strength. They are our promise. They represent the potential for growth and transformation. Ethiopia stands for that promise. We believe in Pan African unity and in the African Continental Free Trade Area as a pathway to shared progress."
For Temesgen, the Third Africa Jobs Creation Forum is where we go beyond vision, adding that It is where we turn plans into action, and action into lasting impact for skills development and shared prosperity across Africa.
"Advancing job creation and economic resilience through integration remains a development imperative. Africa contributes less than 3 percent to the global value chains, and the time for incremental action has passed. We must act at scale," AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said on his part.
Noting that the agricultural sector remains Africa's largest employer, supporting over 60 percent of the continent's livelihoods, he called on Africa's private sector, both large and small businesses, to embrace the AfCFTA and benefit from the continental trading opportunities presented by its effective implementation.
He also urged efforts to exploit emerging models of work through youth-driven innovations and technologies in addressing potential challenges when transitioning into digital trade. The AUC chief underscored the need to ensure access to affordable capital for Africa's young entrepreneurs and boost their contribution to value creation.
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Experts and policymakers gathered at the three-day continental job creation forum to discuss regional integration, the free movement of people, and the full operationalization of the AU's financial institutions to unlock decent and sustainable jobs for African youth.
