OPINION: Unleashing African Young People’s Potential

Girls attend school in South Africa. Healthy, educated young people can help break the cycle of poverty. Credit: UNFPABy Adebayo FayoyinJOHANNESBURG, Jul 10 2014 (IPS) An African proverb says “a child that we refuse to build today will end up selling the house that we may build tomorrow.” The moral of this is clear. Unless we invest in our children and young people today, they might become a threat or a burden in the future.As the international community commemorates World Population Day on July 11, Africa’s growing youth population should be recognised as a ‘powerful force for change’ that requires greater investment today. Judging by the current challenges confronting young people, the extent to which African countries are investing in the youth is unclear. More young people According to the Africa Regional Review for the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) the continent is experiencing substantial demographic shifts, which have seen about 21 million persons a year being added to the population since 1994. Africa has the youngest population and will remain so for decades in a rapidly ageing world. By 2050 “the median age for Africa will increase to 25, while the average for the world as a whole will climb to about 38”. The fertility rate on the continent is decreasing gradually and the new generation of young people will probably have fewer children than their parents. This demographic shift will also mean fewer elderly people and chi...
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