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 2. 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 4.
Living with Fear and Uncertainty
“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.”
The Everyday Struggles of Young Africans
Other issues that emerged from the survey are:
- 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 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, primarily because of the detrimental impacts 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.
Priorities for Progress
African youth consistently identify tackling corruption as their top priority for decision-makers. They also call for better economic opportunities, improved education, stronger security, and more accountable governance.
Just waiting for the world to change?
The challenges are real and urgent. Yet Africa’s youth are not merely passive observers. The question remains: will this generation wait for change, or will they help create it?
So, what is your role in making Africa the home we want and the future we hope for?
Building a Future through Good Governance
Good governance is essential if Africa’s youth are to realise their potential. Without it, the youth bulge risks becoming a source of frustration rather than opportunity.
The role of the state in ensuring good governance 5
Governments have a God-ordained mandate 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
