Panel of the Future
Young Africa is Rising and We Should Pay Attention
It's a Friday afternoon – the last day of the Summit of the Future – and Chido Mpemba, the African Union Chairperson's Special Envoy on Youth, rushes into the UNF office.
Tired? Not Chido. Her excitement and enthusiasm is infectious as she discusses how to channel the energy to invest humanity’s resources into its best talent – young Africa. You can see the wheels in her head churning, as she plans how to leverage the momentum from the Summit.
UN convenings can often feel overwhelming. With so many pressing issues to discuss, it can be difficult to focus on one thing. However, for Chido and the other young people who joined her in our office that day, one issue is crystal clear: making a positive change on the issues that matter most for African youth.
Why Young Africa Matters
In a world facing rapid change, the focus on young Africa is more critical than ever.
With nearly 70% of its population under 30, Africa is the world's youngest continent, and it stands at a pivotal juncture. This youthful demographic isn’t just a statistic; it represents a vast pool of potential and energy that can drive transformation both locally and globally.
It is with this rapid demographic shift in mind that the UN Foundation’s Our Future Agenda and the African Union’s Youth Envoy Office have teamed up to build the Panel of the Future.
As a key component of the Road to 2100, the initiative aims to engage inspiring young leaders across the continent to raise awareness and drive action on issues that impact their futures and ensure their voices are heard by the final SDG Summit in 2027. It is designed to build consensus for the 2100 Roadmap and highlight critical – often neglected – perspectives.
The panel is an assembly of diverse young African policy influencers and changemakers. Each one is advocating for policies, partnerships, solutions, and strategies to harness the potential of young Africans in reshaping global governance, reframing their narrative and ensuring a sustainable future in the process.
“When given opportunities to lead, do so with responsibility; Be worthy ambassadors for your generation. By 2050, one in four people across the planet will be African. This means African youth will not just solve African problems, but global problems as well. You can invest in Africa, you can bank on us, because we're the future!”
Fostering Leadership and Inclusion
The panelists also met with African Union Chairperson H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, who emphasized the importance of empowering young people, especially women, to take on leadership roles. This focus on female leadership was further echoed at the AWLNetwork High-Level Side Event, highlighting the need for intergenerational collaboration.
In partnership with BBC News Africa, the Panel convened a town hall meeting focused on Leading Africa into the Future. This session was aired on the BBC and a key topic of discussion was the unequal impact of climate change on the African continent and potential solutions.
Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed attended and actively listened to the panelists and their concerns, emphasizing that no region on the continent should be left behind. After meeting the DSG, one panelist expressed how refreshing it was to have her listen to them as experts and encourage the spirit of activism within the panel, which she said was essential to holding leaders accountable to young people.
PoTF Member Khouloud Ben Mansour (Left ) and DSG Amina Mohammed Credit: United Nations. Tweet here.
PoTF Member Khouloud Ben Mansour (Left ) and DSG Amina Mohammed Credit: United Nations. Tweet here.
"While there’s a lot of focus on education and healthcare, the structural challenges faced by young entrepreneurs, such as bureaucratic barriers, weak infrastructure, and market access, need more attention. Additionally, the impact of climate change and political instability on youth opportunities remains under-addressed. International partners and policymakers need to prioritize solutions that remove these barriers to ensure that young people can contribute fully to Africa’s development."
Taking Action for the Future
At the United Nations Foundation offices, the panelists discussed the importance of young people’s participation in global decision making processes to drive the African development agenda forward.
One Panelist, Melvyn Lubega, noted that of the many challenges young people face, some of the most pressing are lack of access to capital, limited mentorship opportunities, and inadequate support for youth-led businesses.
Over 80% of the venture capital investing in African start-ups is from international investors, yet many local policies are hampering their country’s competitiveness as an investment destination relative to other markets.
The panelists also highlighted the need to strengthen monitoring and evaluation mechanisms across the continent as well as the necessity of sustainable funding for youth driven initiatives, a topic relevant to our work with the Funders Collective.
In a final meeting with the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, Dr. Felipe Paullier, the panelists explored collaborative strategies for fully realizing the Pact for the Future. This conversation underscored the importance of global solidarity among young people.
The Panel of the Future makes it clear that young Africans don’t just want a seat at the table, they want to be taken seriously while at the table! The need to involve young Africans in plans for sustainable growth, climate mitigation, clean energy, and technological and life-saving innovations is becoming indispensable, and it’s time we all paid attention.
In our last meeting at the United Nations Foundation New York Office, Charlene Ruto remarked that her biggest takeaway was that the conversations only began in New York – soon it would be time to go back home and begin the real work.
Some PoTF members and Chido Mpemba ahead of AWLNetwork High-Level Side Event on the power of intergenerational collaboration for women's leadership in Africa. Credit: @AU_YouthEnvoy
Some PoTF members and Chido Mpemba ahead of AWLNetwork High-Level Side Event on the power of intergenerational collaboration for women's leadership in Africa. Credit: @AU_YouthEnvoy
Built with Shorthand