Investition in die Jugend ist treibende Kraft für Afrikas Industrialisierung
Youth investment a driving force for Africa's industrialization
Africa has the fastest-growing economies in the world as well as the youngest
population expected to double by 2055. This growth presents an opportunity to
transform this youth boom into a catalyst for industrialising Africa or it can
undermine the progress that has been made. The real question is "what do we do
with the youth and how to develop their capacity to unlock their potential to be
positive agents of change and contribute towards job-creation?"
Harnessing this youth dividend is therefore pivotal for Africa's development.
It is crucial that the public and private sector in collaboration with the youth
need to identify alternative pathways to sustainable livelihoods. This will
address the current challenges faced by the youth such as unemployment,
inequality, poverty and social unrest. There is a need to build inclusive
societies that allow young people to enter the workforce, generate wealth and be
of service by participating in political systems.
For the youth to be a
driving force for industrialization adequate investments have to be made in
education, health, employment and good governance. Unlocking and optimising this
potential also entails structural economic transformation that includes youth
participation in strategic sectors such as the energy, agriculture, information
and communication technology. Therefore the formulation and implementation of
industrial policies inclusive of affirmative procurement and local content
policies is key. Moreover, Africa must continue to leverage solutions to have
greater participation in the existing value continentally and globally across
industries.
At the nexus of a dynamic youth population and rapidly
growing digital economies lies an opportunity to take Africa forward. Rwanda is
an example of an African economy that is taking advantage of digital solutions
to improve Africans lives for example using drones to deliver medicine. In
addition, Africa has developed the most prolific mobile payment systems in the
world, which presents a myriad of opportunities.
These innovative
developments confirm that African countries have a unique environment and
opportunity to transform their youth boom into broad-based poverty reduction,
which can be achieved by investing heavily into skills and human capital. There
is an urgent need to improve and support technical and vocational education that
will empower youth to go after the jobs of the future. Furthermore, there are
limited opportunities in formal employment and therefore the culture of
entrepreneurship has to be fostered and the necessary support such as creating
market access, and providing access to funding should be prioritized. It is
pivotal that forward-looking strategies are formulated to create production jobs
and build globally relevant skills bases to drive African economies.
The
reality is that Africa is demonstrating tremendous promise – the youth dividend
has the potential to unlock shared prosperity and fulfill the continent's vision
articulated in the African Union's Agenda 2063 'The Africa We Want'. The
continent needs sustainable skills, solutions and infrastructure to leapfrog
into the mid-21st century and the youth are more than capable to drive
industrialization towards Africa's renewal.
About Selma
Shimutwikeni
Ndapwilapo Selma Shimutwikeni is the Managing
Director/Co-Founder of RichAfrica Consultancy. Selma is an expert in natural
resources law and policy, Selma advises leaders across the public and private
sectors on inclusive business strategies, economic development and investment in
oil, gas and mining sectors. Prior to RichAfrica, Selma worked in the diamond
industry in a public-private partnership Namdeb Diamond Corporation, and Howells
Solicitors, a law firm in the United Kingdom (UK). Her interests revolve around
working with multiple stakeholders with a focus on problem solving in the
natural resources sector. In particular, transforming natural resources into
catalysts for sustainability and wealth in emerging economies.
Selma
holds an LLM degree (international trade law) from Leeds University in the UK,
and an LLM in Mineral Law and Policy from the Centre for Petroleum, Mineral Law
and Policy (CEPMLP) at Dundee University. Her undergraduate qualifications
include a BSc. in Business Management and Computer Information Systems from La
Roche College in Pittsburg, USA.
Selma has been recently appointed to be
the Ambassador for Women Entrepreneurship Day in Namibia, an event co-founded by
the United Nations Foundation which aims to celebrate, empower and support women
in business worldwide. Presently, RichAfrica is contracted by the Government of
Namibia to review the White Paper on Energy Policy and to draft the National
Energy Policy. Selma is leading the upstream and downstream oil and gas section
of the Policy. In 2014, RichAfrica successfully hosted Namibia's 2nd
International Oil and Gas Conference under the theme 'Unlocking & Optimising
Our Resource Potential'.
In November 2015, Selma was featured in Forbes
Woman Africa where she was requested to share her journey that led her to being
a thought leader in the natural resources industry.
Quelle: News Ghana, newsghana.com.gh, 12.09.2017