Youth bulge: Challenges that must be overcome
Overcoming the barriers that hold Africa’s youth back from realizing their full potential.
Listening to Africa’s Youth
The African Youth Survey is research done every 2 years since 2020 with the purpose of providing governments, the private sector and civil society insights into the aspirations, motivations, and viewpoints of Africa’s youth. The survey provides youths with the opportunity to share their opinions, experiences, and aspirations with the world.
The Growing Desire to Leave
In the 2022 survey 52% of respondents indicated they were likely to consider emigrating in the next few years, citing economic hardship and lack of education opportunities as the top reasons (BBC2). The main reasons they want to leave included, in order of importance:
- Economic
- Education
- New experiences
- Corruption
- Political
- Security
- Family reunion
- Personal freedom
- Religion
The 2024 survey revealed that 58% were likely to emigrate.
“There is a sense among a significant proportion that diplomacy is fragile, with corruption cited as the most pertinent concern for youth across Africa. It is strongly regarded that corruption is rife within political and civil institutions including government, business, and the police. It is therefore no surprise that when asked to pick a key priority for decision-makers, African youth unequivocally state that governments must address, and adequately sanction, corruption. However, levels of satisfaction with government efforts to address corruption remain consistently low across the continent.”
Living with Fear and Uncertainty
Other issues the emerged from the survey are:
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Safety and Stability:
“In many African countries, young people fear political instability, and those living in Kenya, Nigeria, and Ethiopia are most likely to feel the negative impact of terrorism, insurgency and armed conflict. Concerningly, there is a growing trend across the continent of young people being approached for recruitment by terror groups and an increase in African youth reporting acquaintance with someone supporting terrorism in their local context.” -
Gender-based violence:
Three-quarters of young people are now worried about gender-based violence, and the lack of protection for women’s rights. -
Refugees:
The majority of African youth agree that their country has a moral obligation to accept refugees. This is despite expressing high levels of concern for immigration and asylum across Africa. -
Outside influence:
The majority of African youth do remain sceptical of outside influence, for fear of exploitation of their countries’ natural resources. An increasing proportion view the impact of Russia’s influence in their country negatively. By far the primary source of negative sentiment towards Russian influence is the detrimental impacts on African countries caused by Russia’s engagement in conflicts. -
Climate change
Climate change and the associated negative consequences of rising temperatures is a significant and increasing concern for young people across Africa. Seen as the most vulnerable region in the world to the impact of climate change, it is not a surprise that the vast majority of African youth have great concern for the potential harm of climate change for future generations, for the people in their country, and for the harm that it will cause them personally. A significant majority of African youth are still underwhelmed by their government’s efforts to address the causes, and manage the implications, of the climate crisis
The Everyday Struggles of Young Africans
YouthSmarts3, a platform dedicated to fostering intelligence, creativity and leadership among young people also listed the urgent challenges youths in Africa face as:
-
Unemployment and Underemployment:
One of the most pressing issues facing young people is the lack of decent job opportunities. In many countries, youth unemployment rates are significantly higher than the overall unemployment rate. Even those who are employed often face underemployment, with jobs that do not match their skills or provide adequate income. This economic insecurity can lead to frustration and disillusionment. -
Education and Skills Gap:
While access to education has improved in many parts of the world, there is still a significant gap between the skills young people are learning and the skills needed in the job market. This mismatch is particularly acute in fields such as technology and engineering, where demand for skilled workers is high. Without access to quality education and training, many young people are unable to reach their full potential. -
Mental Health Issues:
The pressures of modern life, including academic stress, social media, and economic uncertainty, are taking a toll on the mental health of young people. Rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders are on the rise, particularly among adolescents and young adults. Addressing this crisis requires greater investment in mental health services and support systems. -
Climate Change and Environmental Degradation:
Young people are acutely aware of the threat posed by climate change and environmental degradation. They are among the most vocal advocates for action, but they also bear the brunt of its impacts. From extreme weather events to food and water insecurity, the consequences of climate change are disproportionately affecting young people, particularly in developing countries. -
Political and Social Exclusion:
Despite their growing influence, young people often feel excluded from political and decision-making processes. Many feel that their voices are not heard or that their concerns are not taken seriously. This sense of exclusion can lead to apathy or, in some cases, social unrest.
Priorities for Progress
In the Youth Survey, respondents identified what they believed to be the most urgent things to address to facilitate progress.
- Reducing government corruption
- Creating new, well-paying jobs Cameroon:
- Increasing access to basic needs and services
- Modernizing the education system
- Achieving peace and stability in Africa
- Making it easier to start a business
- Building a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship
- Granting more personal freedoms to citizens
- Embracing digital and technological innovation Côte d’Ivoire:
- Addressing climate change
Just waiting for the world to change?
Afro-optimism is a philosophical movement that emphasizes Africa’s potential for growth, innovation, and progress, countering negative narratives about the continent. Bogolo Kenewendo was the youngest Cabinet Minister in Africa and in Botswana’s history during her tenure and today serves as the Special Advisor and Africa Director to the United Nations Climate Change. She stated it well when she commented:
“Afro-Optimism isn’t just a hopeful vision for Africa’s future; it’s a tangible roadmap driven by strategic reforms, robust investments, and a resilient mindset.”
To facilitate this optimism, Kenewendo advocates for economic reforms and business facilitation, digital transformation that supports innovation and entrepreneurship, and establishment of legislative infrastructure that is supportive of entrepreneurship by any means necessary.
So, what is your role in making Africa the home we want and the future we hope for?
An impressive 71% of young Africans plan to start their own business within the next five years, reflecting a strong desire to take control of their economic futures and contribute to their countries’ development4.
One way to contribute, is by advocating for and actively working towards Good Governance.
Building a Future through Good Governance
“Governance” is the process by which decisions are made and implemented. Poor governance affects all of us because it undermines development and hurts the poorest communities most. Corruption is a symptom of poor governance. It further:
- reduces access to and quality of essential public services such as education and Healthcare
- affects distribution of resources and fuels inequality
- undermines trust and social cohesion as people are excluded from participating
- in political processes
- undermines aid effectiveness as money is siphoned off
- harms economic growth
- reduces access to justice, especially for poorer people
Good governance means that a variety of actors participate in and cooperate in governing. It is a process of decision making and by which decisions are implemented. It can be seen as the process by which government, citizens, society and business make decisions together to create a better society and a better country and/or continent. It is the process of engaging various actors in the decision-making process of public administration. It is the manner in which power is exercised in the management of a country’s economic and social resources for development, according to the World Bank.
For governance to contribute to the well-being of all people (also referred to as governance for human flourishing), it must be based on the three core principles of participation, service and social justice5.
- Participation: everyone should participate in decisions that affect their lives. Mechanisms of accountability and transparency are necessary for this.
- Service: government should be for the good of the people, not those in power. It should be responsive to people’s needs.
- Social justice: policies should be geared towards the inclusion of the most vulnerable sectors of society. This includes ensuring justice for all people.
It is a concept that reflects God’s desire for justice and his concern for the most vulnerable in society are clearly reflected throughout the Bible.
- Justice: Just before his people are liberated from Egypt, God says that the ‘cry of the oppressed’ has reached his ears (Exodus 3:7-8). Jesus identifies with the poor in his mission statement (Luke 4:16-21). His desire for justice means that he ‘detests dishonest scales’ (Proverbs 11:1).
- Truth: God desires truth in all our relationships. The Psalms speak of desiring ‘truth in the inmost being’ (Psalms 51:6) whereas the prophets condemn societies where ‘truth is nowhere to be found’ (Isaiah 59:15)
All of us contribute to good governance.
The role of the state in ensuring good governance
Although there is no blueprint for good governance in the Bible, Romans 13:1-7 gives us a glimpse of the role of the state that is clearly linked to God’s desire for justice. This includes:
- To serve the people. Authorities are God’s servants. This role of servant leadership was modelled by Jesus (Philippians 2:5-11).
- For the good of the people. Laws and policies should be geared towards the well-being of society, not a range of personal or vested interests.
- To exercise justice for all people in a fair and transparent way. Governments are called to protect and defend the rights of the most vulnerable people in society (Psalm 82:3-4).
- To collect and steward taxes in a wise way to provide the necessary services. This requires well-functioning institutions, systems and structures.
The role of the church (YOU): to be salt and light
As God’s people, we are called to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16), which means both modelling a society based on God’s kingdom values and calling prophetically for change.
Modelling an alternative will involve living out God’s values both in public and private. It requires consistency between what is said and what is done, and will include speaking truthfully in public and private, displaying honesty and transparency in all actions, not taking or paying any bribe, paying all relevant taxes etc.
Being a prophetic voice in society involves holding governments to account for their God-ordained mandate. A prophetic voice, in line with the Old Testament prophets, is one that speaks out against injustice and exposes what is wrong, as well as offering hope for the future by suggesting alternative solutions.
‘The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state… It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.’
Martin Luther King (1963) Strength to love
Footnotes:
- 2 African brain drain: ‘90% of my friends want to leave’
- 3 The Rising Generation: How the Young Population in 2024 is Shaping the Future | YOUTH SMARTS
- 4 African youth survey 2024 – PSB Insights
- 5 Why advocate on governance and corruption – Tearfund
90%
Out of every 10 Christians murdered for their faith across the world, nine are killed in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Yet, almost no one is talking about it.
Murder, torture and kidnapping are an everyday threat. Extremists want to destroy the church and are using unthinkable violence. The very survival of the church is at risk – unless we act.
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