COMMUNIQUÉ
1. INTRODUCTION
The Youth Strategy Forum (“Forum”) on the International Youth Day -12th August 2012 was organized by Entrepreneurship Initiative for African Youth (“EIFAY”) at NUT Hall by Otigba Junction Ogui Road Enugu, Enugu State Nigeria. 50 participants drawn from youth organizations, students’ bodies, young entrepreneurs, human rights activists, National You
th Council of Nigeria (Enugu state
chapter), South South Ibo Youth Alliance (SSIYA), South East Youth Forum, and
media attended the Forum.
The Forum was convened as part of events in marking the International Youth Day 2012 in Enugu; to discuss various strategies in partnering with young people in building a better African society while highlighting the importance of youth entrepreneurship as critical a area of partnership with young people and youth organizations in addressing unemployment, youth restiveness and other social vices such as terrorism, kidnapping, drug abuse, cultism etc perpetrated by idle youths in the society. It reviewed the “current economic challenges” faced by young people and its dangers including increased frustration by young Nigerians due to lack of economic opportunities and its consequential signs of birthing disruptive forces if not urgently addressed by all stakeholders.
It was also an opportunity to present the vision, mission and programmes of “EIFAY” in raising twenty first century young entrepreneurs that will transform African economy and to contribute immensely to addressing unemployment and other economic injustices in the continent. The forum also provided an opportunity to present “EIFAY”’s master project called “Partnership Action for Youth Enterprise Development (Project P.A.Y.E.DTM.)” – a strategic intervention of “EIFAY” with the aim of raising at least 200,000 twenty first century young entrepreneurs annually in Africa through coordinated empowerment programmes on youth entrepreneurship and also has the capacity to create at least one million jobs for young people annually across Africa. Project PAYEDTM also has the capability to build or empower 18,500 twenty-first century young entrepreneurs annually in Nigeria alone through innovative entrepreneurship trainings and access to capital for businesses.
The Forum further reviewed past youth supporting programmes/interventions by the government which according to participants has a very limited impact with respect to demographic content of the youth and limited opportunities for young people in the society. Some intervention just recorded 1,200 young people as beneficiaries.
2. OBSERVATIONS
The Forum Made The Following Observations
(i) The current social challenges confronting Nigeria and Africa at large today could be highly curbed if African governments and other stakeholders sincerely create spaces for strong partnership with youths and effectively encourage participation of young Africans in shaping economic future, progress and prosperity of the continent.
(ii) Nigeria and Africa at large stands on the brink of losing from its youth demographic dividends if significant policies are not implemented
(iii) According to the Next Generation Report 2010 by British Council, Nigeria needs to create 15 million new jobs over the next ten years just to keep employment at current levels. If Nigeria aims to halve unemployment, it will need to create 24 million new jobs, expanding the labour market by almost 50%. If unemployment is to be brought to 7% by 2030, the labour market needs to nearly double in size, creating almost 50 million jobs.
(iv) Unlike other developing regions, sub-Saharan Africa’s population is becoming more youthful, with youth as a proportion of the total population projected at over 75 per cent by 2015, due to the high fertility rate underlying the demographic momentum. It is expected that this increase in the number of young people will not decline before 20 years or more
(v) The United Nations (UN, 2010) estimates that Sub-Saharan Africa’s population of currently 820 million will more than double to almost 1.7 billion by 2050 increasing from its current share of 12% of the world population to 19% in 2050.
As a consequence of the ongoing strong population growth, Africa has an extremely young population and a population pyramid that still deserves the name.
In addition to its youth, Africa’s population is increasingly urban
(vi) Many young people have little or no skills, lack access to business finance and networking opportunities; and are therefore largely excluded from productive economic and social life.
(vii) If Nigeria in particular and Africa at large fails to collect its demographic dividend, the seriousness of the society's predicament should not be underestimated. Its prospects will be bleak and could be catastrophic. In the worst case, a nation like Nigeria will see: growing numbers of restless young people frustrated by lack of opportunity; increased competition for jobs, land, natural resources, and political patronage; cities that are increasingly unable to cope with the pressures placed on them; ethnic and religious conflict and radicalisation; and a political system discredited by its failure to improve lives.
(viii) With the dearth of partnership spaces and opportunities with the young people in Africa; there are huge consequences of creating lost generation of squandered talent and dreams
3. RESOLUTIONS
Based On The Foregoing Observations, The Forum Resolved As Follows:
(i) We must start from the simple premise that Africa’s future is up to Africans. (Barrack Obama in Ghana 2009). Africa needs Africans to succeed. There are reasons for hope for a new Africa. Agriculture, new technologies/ICTs and entrepreneurship all provide reasons for hope. Our challenge is to realize this potential.
(ii) To realise the dream of an African Renaissance, the entrepreneurial energies of young Africans, should be harnessed to contribute towards economic development, job creation and the alleviation of poverty
(iii) Increased and effective partnership platform should be created and sustained with the objective of establishing more and stronger mechanisms for effective youth participation and mainstreaming of young people in shaping social, economic and political spheres of the modern African society.
(iv) African governments should demonstrate political will in the implementation of the provisions of the African Youth Charter. This will go a long way in addressing the social, economic and political injustices faced by young people in the continent
(v) Governments, private sectors, civil society, development partners, and academia need to partner with young Africans and youth organizations on entrepreneurship development in projecting towards more positive development. Entrepreneurship has been recognized worldwide as a key to addressing youth unemployment.
(vi) According to the Next Generation Report 2010 by British Council, Nigeria stands on the threshold of what could be the greatest transformation in history. By 2030, it could be one of the few countries in the world that has young workers in the plentiful supply. Youth, not oil, will be the country’s most valuable resource in the twenty first century.
(vii) Nigerian government needs to urgently implement the recommendations of the British Council’s Next Generation Report 2010 including the urgent needs to develop or support a thorough action plan for its next generation. At present, policymakers are faced with a dearth of robust data on the country's future challenges. Better evidence is needed to inform more farsighted policies. Moreover, Nigeria needs to create almost 25 million jobs over the next ten years if it is to offer work to new entrants, and halve current unemployment.
(viii) Societal stakeholders need to work with and invest in young people. Investing in young people is not only the right thing to do, it is also smart. As the Secretary-General said; “we have a choice. Young people can be embraced as partners in shaping their societies, or they can be excluded and left to simmer in frustration and despair”.
(ix) United Nations and regional minded organizations like NEPAD, ECOWAS, COMESA, UNECA, and African Union (AU) etc should extremely partner with African youth and visionary youth organizations in transforming the region. The “TIME is NOW”!
(x) Stakeholders should explore opportunities presented by EIFAY’s Partnership Action for Youth Enterprise Development (Project P.A.Y.E.D.TM) and other programmes to address youth unemployment across Africa and beyond.
(xi) Participants appreciated the efforts of the organiser, “Entrepreneurship Initiative for African Youth”.
Acha Emmanuel
Entrepreneurship Initiative for African Youth
Obinna Kalu
Youth Coordinator, Lapidoth Deborah Foundation (LDF)
Udeh Juliet
Student Union Government (SUG)
Eze Cyril Decency
National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN)
The Forum was convened as part of events in marking the International Youth Day 2012 in Enugu; to discuss various strategies in partnering with young people in building a better African society while highlighting the importance of youth entrepreneurship as critical a area of partnership with young people and youth organizations in addressing unemployment, youth restiveness and other social vices such as terrorism, kidnapping, drug abuse, cultism etc perpetrated by idle youths in the society. It reviewed the “current economic challenges” faced by young people and its dangers including increased frustration by young Nigerians due to lack of economic opportunities and its consequential signs of birthing disruptive forces if not urgently addressed by all stakeholders.
It was also an opportunity to present the vision, mission and programmes of “EIFAY” in raising twenty first century young entrepreneurs that will transform African economy and to contribute immensely to addressing unemployment and other economic injustices in the continent. The forum also provided an opportunity to present “EIFAY”’s master project called “Partnership Action for Youth Enterprise Development (Project P.A.Y.E.DTM.)” – a strategic intervention of “EIFAY” with the aim of raising at least 200,000 twenty first century young entrepreneurs annually in Africa through coordinated empowerment programmes on youth entrepreneurship and also has the capacity to create at least one million jobs for young people annually across Africa. Project PAYEDTM also has the capability to build or empower 18,500 twenty-first century young entrepreneurs annually in Nigeria alone through innovative entrepreneurship trainings and access to capital for businesses.
The Forum further reviewed past youth supporting programmes/interventions by the government which according to participants has a very limited impact with respect to demographic content of the youth and limited opportunities for young people in the society. Some intervention just recorded 1,200 young people as beneficiaries.
2. OBSERVATIONS
The Forum Made The Following Observations
(i) The current social challenges confronting Nigeria and Africa at large today could be highly curbed if African governments and other stakeholders sincerely create spaces for strong partnership with youths and effectively encourage participation of young Africans in shaping economic future, progress and prosperity of the continent.
(ii) Nigeria and Africa at large stands on the brink of losing from its youth demographic dividends if significant policies are not implemented
(iii) According to the Next Generation Report 2010 by British Council, Nigeria needs to create 15 million new jobs over the next ten years just to keep employment at current levels. If Nigeria aims to halve unemployment, it will need to create 24 million new jobs, expanding the labour market by almost 50%. If unemployment is to be brought to 7% by 2030, the labour market needs to nearly double in size, creating almost 50 million jobs.
(iv) Unlike other developing regions, sub-Saharan Africa’s population is becoming more youthful, with youth as a proportion of the total population projected at over 75 per cent by 2015, due to the high fertility rate underlying the demographic momentum. It is expected that this increase in the number of young people will not decline before 20 years or more
(v) The United Nations (UN, 2010) estimates that Sub-Saharan Africa’s population of currently 820 million will more than double to almost 1.7 billion by 2050 increasing from its current share of 12% of the world population to 19% in 2050.
As a consequence of the ongoing strong population growth, Africa has an extremely young population and a population pyramid that still deserves the name.
In addition to its youth, Africa’s population is increasingly urban
(vi) Many young people have little or no skills, lack access to business finance and networking opportunities; and are therefore largely excluded from productive economic and social life.
(vii) If Nigeria in particular and Africa at large fails to collect its demographic dividend, the seriousness of the society's predicament should not be underestimated. Its prospects will be bleak and could be catastrophic. In the worst case, a nation like Nigeria will see: growing numbers of restless young people frustrated by lack of opportunity; increased competition for jobs, land, natural resources, and political patronage; cities that are increasingly unable to cope with the pressures placed on them; ethnic and religious conflict and radicalisation; and a political system discredited by its failure to improve lives.
(viii) With the dearth of partnership spaces and opportunities with the young people in Africa; there are huge consequences of creating lost generation of squandered talent and dreams
3. RESOLUTIONS
Based On The Foregoing Observations, The Forum Resolved As Follows:
(i) We must start from the simple premise that Africa’s future is up to Africans. (Barrack Obama in Ghana 2009). Africa needs Africans to succeed. There are reasons for hope for a new Africa. Agriculture, new technologies/ICTs and entrepreneurship all provide reasons for hope. Our challenge is to realize this potential.
(ii) To realise the dream of an African Renaissance, the entrepreneurial energies of young Africans, should be harnessed to contribute towards economic development, job creation and the alleviation of poverty
(iii) Increased and effective partnership platform should be created and sustained with the objective of establishing more and stronger mechanisms for effective youth participation and mainstreaming of young people in shaping social, economic and political spheres of the modern African society.
(iv) African governments should demonstrate political will in the implementation of the provisions of the African Youth Charter. This will go a long way in addressing the social, economic and political injustices faced by young people in the continent
(v) Governments, private sectors, civil society, development partners, and academia need to partner with young Africans and youth organizations on entrepreneurship development in projecting towards more positive development. Entrepreneurship has been recognized worldwide as a key to addressing youth unemployment.
(vi) According to the Next Generation Report 2010 by British Council, Nigeria stands on the threshold of what could be the greatest transformation in history. By 2030, it could be one of the few countries in the world that has young workers in the plentiful supply. Youth, not oil, will be the country’s most valuable resource in the twenty first century.
(vii) Nigerian government needs to urgently implement the recommendations of the British Council’s Next Generation Report 2010 including the urgent needs to develop or support a thorough action plan for its next generation. At present, policymakers are faced with a dearth of robust data on the country's future challenges. Better evidence is needed to inform more farsighted policies. Moreover, Nigeria needs to create almost 25 million jobs over the next ten years if it is to offer work to new entrants, and halve current unemployment.
(viii) Societal stakeholders need to work with and invest in young people. Investing in young people is not only the right thing to do, it is also smart. As the Secretary-General said; “we have a choice. Young people can be embraced as partners in shaping their societies, or they can be excluded and left to simmer in frustration and despair”.
(ix) United Nations and regional minded organizations like NEPAD, ECOWAS, COMESA, UNECA, and African Union (AU) etc should extremely partner with African youth and visionary youth organizations in transforming the region. The “TIME is NOW”!
(x) Stakeholders should explore opportunities presented by EIFAY’s Partnership Action for Youth Enterprise Development (Project P.A.Y.E.D.TM) and other programmes to address youth unemployment across Africa and beyond.
(xi) Participants appreciated the efforts of the organiser, “Entrepreneurship Initiative for African Youth”.
Acha Emmanuel
Entrepreneurship Initiative for African Youth
Obinna Kalu
Youth Coordinator, Lapidoth Deborah Foundation (LDF)
Udeh Juliet
Student Union Government (SUG)
Eze Cyril Decency
National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN)
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