Youth in Governance: From Promise to Prosperity — Opening Session Sets the Tone for Transformative Action

The 5th African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Youth Symposium, held under the theme “Youth in Governance: From Promise to Prosperity,” opened at the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) in Midrand with statements from African leaders affirming that the continent’s transformation depends on placing its youth at the heart of governance, innovation, and sustainable development.

Ambassador Marie-Antoinette Rose-Quatre: A Historic and Symbolic Venue for Africa’s Youth

Opening the session, H.E. Ambassador Marie-Antoinette Rose-Quatre, CEO of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), underscored the deep symbolism of hosting the Symposium within the precincts of the Pan-African Parliament.

“Hosting this Symposium at the Pan-African Parliament is both intentional and symbolic,” she said. “The Pan-African Parliament is the continental legislative centre, and African youth have no better place to engage in the governance of our continent than this very house.”

Ambassador Rose-Quatre expressed profound gratitude to H.E. Chief Fortune Charumbira, President of the Pan-African Parliament, for opening the doors of “the people’s chamber” to Africa’s youth. She described this gesture as historic and genuinely Pan-African, emphasizing that it represents a new chapter in intergenerational inclusion.

Her remarks highlighted that the APRM–PAP partnership is more than institutional collaboration: it is a continental movement for shared accountability, transparency, and youth participation. She called on young Africans to see governance as “a shared responsibility to build systems that are inclusive, transparent, and future-ready.”

Hon. Laila Dahi: Africa’s Youth Are Not Waiting for the Future - They Are Shaping It Now

Declaring the Symposium open, Hon. Laila Dahi, Chairperson of the PAP Youth Caucus and Member of Parliament from the Kingdom of Morocco, set an inspiring tone by affirming that “Africa is not a continent waiting for its future; Africa is a continent shaped by its youth today.”

She stressed that Africa’s diversity is its strength, and its collective purpose: to unite, innovate, and govern inclusively, is its power. With the world’s youngest population, she said, “Africa’s trajectory depends on the meaningful inclusion, leadership, and empowerment of its youth, not as beneficiaries, but as partners and co-creators of governance and development.”

Hon. Dahi outlined four thematic pillars that will guide the Symposium’s deliberations:

1. Youth at the Heart of Peace & Stability – Sustainable peace cannot be achieved without young people meaningfully influencing decision-making and peace building processes.
2. A New Generation Shaping Governance – Today’s digital citizens reject silence; they are informed, connected, and ready to redefine participation.
3. Youth Prosperity and Economic Inclusion – Employment, entrepreneurship, and digital innovation  including AI, must be expanded across both rural and urban Africa.
4. Mental Health and Wellbeing as a Governance Priority – “Health is not a luxury,” she declared, insisting that wellbeing is essential for youth leadership and creativity.

She called the two-day forum an opportunity for “meaningful dialogue, collaboration, and action grounded in the belief that a peaceful, prosperous, and united Africa is only possible when its youth are recognized, supported, and empowered to lead.”

Hon. Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi: Empowerment Delayed Is Empowerment Denied

Delivering the host country’s statement, Hon. Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi, Minister for the Public Service and Administration and APRM Focal Point for South Africa, reminded participants that South Africa takes pride in hosting the youth of Africa in the spirit of Ubuntu and solidarity.

He lauded the theme of the Symposium for its clarity of purpose: “Empowerment delayed is empowerment denied.” Africa’s youth, he argued, can no longer be treated as passive observers.

“We must no longer tarry in associating our young brothers and sisters in building a continent whose wealth is shared, whose disparate voices are heard, and whose tables are large enough to accommodate everyone.”

Hon. Buthelezi reflected on the upcoming 20th anniversary of the African Youth Charter (2006–2026), urging AU Member States to mainstream the youth agenda into all national policies: from governance and trade to education and innovation and to allocate real budgets to ensure that youth inclusion moves beyond rhetoric.

He emphasized that the energy of Africa’s young people has already changed the continent’s political landscape:

“The youth have arisen as fierce checks on hubris, disdain, and indifference. They are no less peaceful than previous generations,  just feistier.”

Calling for intergenerational collaboration rather than competition, he concluded with a powerful metaphor:

“Governance is a long-distance race, and each generation, having run the race, passes the baton to the next to maintain the momentum. If we cannot run or walk but only crawl, then let us by all means do that, but keep moving forward.”

H.E. Vincent Angelin Meriton: From Promise to Purpose — Governance Must Deliver

Delivering the keynote address, H.E. Vincent Angelin Meriton, Former Vice-President of the Republic of Seychelles, offered a deeply reflective message on leadership, intergenerational dialogue, and reimagining prosperity in Africa.

“Across Africa, our youth represent the greatest promise: a generation full of potential, creativity, and courage. But potential, left untapped, is a wasted treasure. Promise must be matched by opportunity, and passion must meet purpose.”

He called for a redefinition of prosperity beyond economics: encompassing dignity, justice, and sustainability: “True prosperity must include peace, justice, education, and a healthy planet. Prosperity must have purpose.”

Meriton urged governments to trust young people with real responsibilities, and to design systems that empower rather than constrain. He emphasized that mentorship must evolve from command to collaboration:

“The wisdom of experience and the energy of youth are not opposing forces; they are complementary strengths.”

He concluded with a resounding call to action:

“Africa cannot afford to make its young people wait. The time for youth in governance is now. Leadership is not about power but about purpose, and governance, at its best, is an act of care.”

A Continental Moment of Renewal

The opening session of the APRM–PAP Youth Symposium set the tone for a transformative dialogue that bridges generations, sectors, and regions.

As the African Union’s 2025 theme “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent through Reparations” guides continental discourse, this Symposium stands as a reminder that justice begins with inclusion.

By convening within the Pan-African Parliament, Africa’s legislative heart, and by placing youth at the centre of debate, the Symposium reaffirmed a truth echoed throughout the opening session:

Africa’s most powerful resource is not its minerals or its markets: it is its youth.