Friday, March 29, 2024

Harness Youth Innovation To Meet Development Goals

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By Raphael Obonyo

With 70 percent of Africa’s population under the age of 30, the continent has the largest youth population that presents immense potential for growth. 

Moreover, it depends on how we look at the large youth population; is it a glass half full or half empty. We should not look at the number of young people as a challenge or a problem to be managed.

With the largest youth population in history, the continent has the greatest opportunity in history, because, with each young person, we have new ideas and new energy.

The fact is that a large number of young people means that Africa has immense potential and unusual ideas coming from different backgrounds and culture. 

Fresh ideas can be found in the younger generation. Africa must invest in youth to secure the future. There’s a need to invest in, take action and amplify opportunities for young people. 

Young people must be at the center of development. Across the continent, there are great examples of achievements of exemplary young inventors and innovators that represent the very best of what happens when we partner and invest in young people.

A good example is M-Pesa, the Kenyan innovation that has revolutionized financial services and is now being replicated elsewhere on the continent. 

There are also solutions like m-Pedigree, an application invented by a young Ghanaian to enable consumers to identify counterfeit drugs – a major problem affecting our countries.

If the 2019 Global Innovation Index (GII) is anything to go by, a poor standard of education, low investment in research and uneven adoption of innovative processes, products and solutions by businesses have held back innovation in many countries in Africa…Read more>>

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