In a compelling address at the CorpsAfrica's all country conference held in Kigali, Rwanda, Minister for Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah passionately appealed for greater involvement and representation of young Africans in shaping the future of the continent.
The conference, held on Friday, June 17, 2023, brought together key stakeholders to discuss Africa's development. Delivering his speech, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah underscored the significance of empowering the youth to contribute to the continent's development.
“The very first thing that we must do if we want young persons to be part and to take a lead role in shaping the Africa we want or Africa 2063 as has been defined by the African Union, we need to give more seats to young people at the table. The 2063 Agenda has been defined as ‘silencing the guns’ and a few other things but I believe that the vision that Africa needs to live up to is way bigger than silencing guns and related matters.
“Our development is about eradicating poverty and building capacities. It cannot be done in a meaningful way without the involvement of young Africans and without having a lot having a lot more seats for young Africans because that is where a new valve of ideas, some new energy and some new directions coming in,” he said.
He highlighted the importance of giving young Africans a voice in decision-making processes and policy formulation further asserting that if Africa want to achieve its 2063 objective in a meaningful way, it requires the involvement of young Africans and the creation of more opportunities for their participation.
Recognizing the need for capacity building, Minister Oppong Nkrumah stressed the importance of empowering young Africans to be at the forefront of addressing challenges on the continent and driving change globally. He said Africa must invest in the education, skills development of its youth, provide mentorship opportunities, and entrepreneurship support necessary for the youth to unlock their full potential.
The CorpsAfrica's all country conference, where Minister Oppong Nkrumah made these remarks, aimed to explore ways to empower young Africans and facilitate their active participation in shaping Africa's future. The volunteer organization was founded in 2011 and has been working to provide young Africans with opportunities to combat extreme poverty within their own countries. With operations expanding from Morocco to Senegal, Malawi, Rwanda, Ghana, and Kenya, CorpsAfrica aims to launch programs in Ethiopia, Uganda, Nigeria, and the Gambia in 2023.
Minister Oppong Nkrumah's plea for increased representation of young people resonates with the organization's mission to empower African youth, enabling them to actively contribute to community development and drive positive change. By acknowledging and harnessing the potential of young Africans, the continent can unlock fresh pathways for advancement and realize the goals set forth in Agenda 2063.
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