Vice President Jeremiah Kpang Koung has encouraged African youth to take full advantage of the opportunities provided by the Intergenerational Leadership Development Cohort.
Emphasizing the importance of cultivating a sense of responsibility, he urged the young people to play an active role in building the future Africa that everyone aspires to achieve.
Addressing Cohort 11 of the Young Political Leadership School Africa under the theme; ‘Empower the Future: African Youth Leaders for Sustainable Development, Peace, and Security,’ on Monday, August 12, 2024, Vice President Koung said every generation has its unique challenges; generations before carried the burdens of the liberation struggle and called for a united Africa.
According to him, Africa is the world’s youngest continent, with 60% of its 1.3 billion population under the age of 25, recognizing its demographic advantage, adding that, it is the caliber of young people that will shape the future development of the continent and its people.
“This present generation must now ensure economic independence by promoting intra-African trade, creating an environment conducive to investment, and empowering young people to provide transformational leadership,” VP Koung stressed.
He added that, young people must be active participants in political governance and decision-making processes noting, “Any society that neglects to harness the strength and emerging potential of its youth is doomed to fail. My mission today is to change the narrative that young people are only needed for political campaigns and rallies.”
“To empower African young leaders for sustainable development, peace, justice and security, the Vice President called for a collective responsibility to nurture them with the right attitude and mindset for transformative leadership, saying “Our youth must rise to the occasion, understanding that they symbolize the strength and hope of our continent.”
He stressed the need to initiate a paradigm shift in how young people participate in politics and democratic processes for a transformed Africa emphasizing the need for leaders to be accountable to the people.
He stressed that, the numerical strength of Africa’s youth is an asset, and “We must initiate a paradigm shift in how our youth participate in politics and democratic processes for a transformed Africa. They must be included at the decision-making table, offering ideas on governance, sustainable development, accountability, peace, and security.”
VP Koung narrated that, this transformation requires equipping them with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to maximize their greatest potentials as emerging leaders, stressing that Africa’s youth will be stronger when they, as leaders, instill the belief that their welfare is the driving force behind their service.
“Youth represent the energy, lifeblood, and future of Africa and must rise to the occasion to preserve it; something he noted is now an urgent matter that we sanitize our politics so that our leaders understand that public service is not a means for personal wealth creation but a call to serve humanity.”
“This unfortunate reality to the prolonged failure of successive political leaderships across the continent and governments inability to address the socio-economic challenges faced by young people,” he noted.
While it is true that government must create a conducive environment for everyone to thrive, the youth must also have the courage to prepare themselves and offer solutions to the challenges ahead. “If the government can’t, you must,” he said.
“It is well-known that many of our young people have lost hope in Africa’s future. Many continue to risk their lives in dangerous journeys to seek greener pastures in Europe and other places. Some have turned to violence as a means of survival, while others believe that Africa is a place where dreams and potentials are suppressed,” he concluded.
