Africa’s regional organizations are promoting the youth empowerment agenda throughout the continent.
On Tuesday, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, the chairperson of the African Union Commission, unveiled the Continental Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Strategy for 2025-2034, marking a significant step towards developing skills and fostering innovation.
Youssouf emphasized that Africa should invest in its people to fully harness science, technology, and innovation for comprehensive growth and industrial development.
“The Continental TVET Strategy 2025–2034 that he launched during the event marks a bold step to equip Africa’s youth with digital, green, & climate-smart skills; vital for realizing the AfCFTA & Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want,” reads the press release shared by the African Union Commission.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), conceived by the African Union, is an integral part of its Agenda 2063.
This initiative aims to bring together the 55 African nations and eight Regional Economic Communities, thereby creating a single large market that facilitates the smooth exchange of goods and services across the continent.
According to the International Labour Organization, the youth NEET (not in employment, education, or training) rate in sub-Saharan Africa exceeded the global average of 20.4%, reaching 21.9 percent in 2023.
The organization noted that women are disproportionately impacted by unemployment or lack of training, with an estimated three in five NEETs in sub-Saharan Africa being women, highlighting a significant 10 percent gap in NEET rates.
Nonetheless, Youssouf asserts that the African Union’s vision for 2063 will convert the continent's demographic dividend into a global labour pool; through informed steps towards innovation, sustainability, and prosperity.
