African Youth at the summit (photo courtesy)

Kampala – As International Youth Day is set to be commemorated on August 12, young people from across Africa have highlighted the challenges they face, including unemployment, insecurity and tribalism.

Speaking at the fourth B!ll Now Now (BNN) Africa Youth Summit held in Kampala, young people from different African countries discussed the challenges and opportunities in their respective communities, while other stakeholders offered possible solutions.

Esther Keji from South Sudan said insecurity remains one of the major challenges facing young people in the country. She said ongoing conflicts continue to disrupt education, livelihoods and youth participation in civic affairs.

“We want to invest more in peacebuilding and inclusive opportunities that will enable young people to rebuild their lives and achieve their development aspirations,” Keji said.

A participant from Uganda, Mukiibi Sharifi, who is also a representative of UNESCO’s 03 Plus Programme, emphasised the need to invest in creativity, innovation and youth skills development to unlock opportunities within Africa’s growing creative and digital economies.

According to the African Union (AU), nearly 60 percent of Africa’s population is under the age of 25, making the continent the youngest in the world.

Humphrey Nabimanya, founder and executive director of Reach A Hand Africa, commended the summit for its focus on implementation, saying many youth-focused meetings take place without concrete action.

“There are many youth-focused discussions and meetings that are merely symbolic, but this year’s Summit is meaningful because it is focused on taking action,” he said.

Discussions at the summit focused on six priority areas: sexual and reproductive health (SRH), mental health, entrepreneurship and trade, education and skills, climate change and the green economy, and responsible technology and artificial intelligence (AI).