Africa will have the
largest workforce – 1.1 billion people – on the planet by 2040. Can Africa
harness this unprecedented demographic advantage to drive productivity and
shared prosperity?
A survey conducted by
the East African Institute of the Aga Khan University reveled that about 55
percent of East Africa’s youth aged between 18 and 35 years were unemployed. The
survey revealed that unemployment among youth aged between 18 and 20 years was
a staggering 80 percent. About 50 percent of youth graduating from East
Africa’s universities cannot find work.
A majority of young and relatively
well-educated youth in East Africa is employed in the informal sector. In Kenya
for example, 80 percent of jobs created in 2014 were in the informal sector. Informal
sector jobs are invariably ephemeral and low paying. Data from the
International Labor Organization shows that Africa has the world’s largest rate
of working poverty – people who are employed but earning less than $2 a day. Creating
productive jobs is Africa’s existential challenge.
While the current crop of Africa’s
youth is the best educated compared to previous generations, employers are for
the most part dissatisfied with the quality of graduates entering the job
market. Potential employers say graduates lack capacity for critical and
analytical reasoning, cannot communicate and lack basic work place discipline. Education
experts have faulted the education system which privileges and promotes rote
learning and represses thinking.
With a median age of about 19, Africa’s
youthful moment presents opportunity and risk. Opportunity because providing
quality education and skills to a majority of Africa’s youth puts in their
hands the tools and capability they need to make real the promise of the youth
dividend. Conversely, denying Africa’s youth quality education and a chance to
participate effectively in the labor market makes youth a tinderbox for social
upheaval.
Youth
have a positive outlook about themselves and this is reflected in how they
think about the future. The East Africa youth survey revealed that, 75 percent
of the youth believed their countries would be richer materially, 66 percent
believe there will be more opportunities for youth – better access to quality
education, healthcare, and more jobs for youth. Moreover, 62 percent believed
society would reward merit or hard work.
In their thoughts and views about the
future, East Africa’s youth are sending a not so subtle message to their
governments. They expect a future better than the present conditions. They are
demanding access to quality education and healthcare and well-paying jobs. In
their belief that society will judge them on the merit, they are signaling that
the culture of patronage must end.
Its large youthful
population, not trinkets or hydrocarbons will deliver meaningful, durable and
shared prosperity for Africa. Lets fix education by training the best teachers
and providing a curriculum that liberates our children to think and innovate.
It is time to fix
the structural flaws in Africa’s growth story, revitalize rural economies, leverage
urbanization, and create jobs in agriculture and manufacturing for our youth.
No comments:
Post a Comment