“Empowering Africa’s Youth Is Essential” -Minister Jallah Urges Global Stakeholders

By Bill W. Cooper
Education Minister, Dr. Jarso M. Jallah has emphasized the critical importance of empowering Africa’s youth, declaring that “Empowering Africa’s youth is not optional—it is essential.”
She also underscored that the demographic shift in Africa further presents both challenges and opportunities, urging stakeholders to invest in education, training, and entrepreneurship, among others, to harness the potential of Africa’s youth.
The Minister maintained, “Because our young people are not just the leaders of tomorrow or the future; they are the innovators, the change-makers, and the driving force of our economies today.”
Minister Jallah spoke recently when she was featured as one of the distinguished panelists at the 2025 African Development Conference (ADC) at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America (USA).
Organized annually by African students from Harvard Law School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, the ADC stands as a premier global platform that convenes renowned policymakers, academics, and advocates to engage in critical discourse on Africa’s progress and prospects.
However, this year’s conference, which was held under the theme: “Africa by 2040: The Future of Africa’s Youth,” further centered on youth empowerment, inclusion, and transformative leadership for sustainable development.
The session also explored “The Role of Effective Governance, Legal Reforms, and International Collaboration in Empowering Youth—With Emphasis on Gender Equality and Combating Gender-Based Violence.”
In her powerful presentation, Minister Jallah also outlined three transformative pillars crucial for empowering Africa’s youth, which she named as Legal Reforms, Political Inclusion and International Collaboration.
On law reforms, Minister Jallah emphasized the need for inclusive, youth-driven legislation that ensures access to quality education, robust vocational training programs, and legal protections for vulnerable populations, particularly adolescent girls.
For political inclusion, the Minister further called for institutional reforms to increase youth representation in governance, ensuring that they feel the presence and impact of their country’s government.
She, at the same time, advocated for lowering the age of political candidacy, implementing youth quotas, strengthening civic education, and protecting young people from political manipulation, thus highlighting Nigeria’s “Not Too Young to Run” Act as a replicable model.
Jallah then urged global stakeholders to expand partnerships by increasing funding for youth-led innovations, creating more scholarship opportunities, engaging the African diaspora, and ratifying international frameworks that safeguard youth rights in line with international Collaboration.
She asserted, “Empowering Africa’s youth is not optional—it is essential. The journey to 2040 demands courage, innovation, and solidarity to build inclusive systems where all young people can thrive.”
Meanwhile, the Minister also highlighted Liberia’s commitment to educational reform, noting recent initiatives aimed at improving access to quality education and enhancing the curriculum to meet the demands of a rapidly changing job market.
Dr. Jallah asserted, “In Liberia, we are working tirelessly to ensure that every child has access to quality education, regardless of their background. However, we cannot do this alone. We need the support of global partners to create a sustainable framework for youth empowerment.”
At the end of the conference, Minister Jallah then reiterated her message, urging global stakeholders to prioritize youth empowerment in their agenda, and added, “The future of Africa depends on the choices we make today. Let us work together to create a world where every young person has the opportunity to succeed.”