By 2050, more than half of the world's population under the age of 24 will live and be educated in sub-Saharan Africa.
Despite strong economic growth in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, high youth unemployment remains one of the most urgent political and socio-economic challenges. Almost 16 million youth are facing unemployment in Africa today and this number is growing.
Youth unemployment in Africa is a key cause of chronic poverty and poor quality of life, clandestine migration, and political and social instability. More importantly, it represents a failure to capitalise on one of the continent’s greatest potentials for economic growth: a growing population of dynamic, ambitious youth, in search of training, mentoring, and economic opportunities.
Twelve million youth enter into the African labour market each year, and yet, only 3 million new jobs are created annually. The future of work also means that, in many cases, some jobs do not even exist yet. This presents an increasing challenge for African youth.
While they have a fundamental role in forming the workforce of the future, higher education institutions in Africa are not adequately preparing youth for the evolving labour marking, which is in turn contributing to youth unemployment on the continent. The current system of higher education in Africa is not responsive or innovative enough to empower youth with the knowledge, skills and know-how to thrive in a changing world.
The time is now for African educational ecosystems to begin preparing African youth for the jobs of the future.