African Parliamentarians Push Youth Employment, Digital Skills and Political Participation

MIDRAND, South Africa — The Youth Caucus of the Pan-African Parliament has begun its work under the Seventh Legislature with a strong commitment to advancing youth employment, economic empowerment, migration governance, digital innovation and the meaningful participation of young Africans in public decision-making.

Meeting following the official opening of the Parliament’s Committee Sittings, the Caucus reviewed its proposed programme of work and considered how parliamentary action could respond more directly to the aspirations and concerns of Africa’s rapidly growing youth population.

The meeting was chaired by Hon. Sarfina Filipe Franco Chindaculema, who called on Members to ensure that youth issues receive sustained attention throughout the Seventh Legislature.

She emphasized the importance of developing practical programmes capable of producing measurable results for young Africans, rather than limiting parliamentary engagement to policy declarations and occasional consultations.

Members identified youth migration, economic empowerment, political participation and the opportunities and risks associated with artificial intelligence as priority areas requiring coordinated continental action.

Moving Youth Issues to the Centre of Parliamentary Work

The Youth Caucus meeting reflected a broader effort to position young people not simply as beneficiaries of government policies but as active participants in Africa’s governance, economic transformation and development.

This approach is consistent with Aspiration 6 of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisages a people-driven Africa that relies particularly on the potential of its women and young people. The African Youth Charter also provides a continental framework for youth empowerment, participation and development at national, regional and continental levels.

Members stressed that the effectiveness of the Caucus would depend on stronger cooperation with African Union institutions, national parliaments, civil society organizations, development partners, private-sector actors and youth-led movements.

Such partnerships would help the Caucus mobilize technical and financial resources, expand access to reliable evidence and ensure that parliamentary recommendations are informed by the lived experiences of young people across the continent.

The discussions also highlighted the need to link youth policy to national budgeting and parliamentary oversight. Programmes addressing unemployment, entrepreneurship, digital access and migration require adequate public investment, clear implementation targets and sustained scrutiny by elected representatives.

African Youth Survey Highlights Aspirations and Concerns

Ambassador Vic Zazeraj of the Ichikowitz Foundation presented findings from the African Youth Survey, providing Members with insights into how young Africans view employment, education, entrepreneurship, governance, technology and migration.

The survey has emerged as a major source of public-opinion data on African youth. Its 2024 edition covered 16 African countries and represented the third iteration of the study since its launch in 2020. Nearly 15,000 interviews have been conducted across 25 countries over the different editions of the survey.

The findings presented to the Caucus showed that many young Africans remain cautiously optimistic about the continent’s future and believe they can create businesses, pursue new opportunities and contribute to Africa’s development.

However, this optimism exists alongside serious concerns about unemployment, corruption, inadequate education and skills, limited economic opportunities, climate change and the quality of political leadership.

The 2024 African Youth Survey reported that young people remained confident about their future potential but were conscious of systemic obstacles, particularly job scarcity and corruption. It also found strong interest in entrepreneurship, technology and opportunities beyond national borders.

For the Youth Caucus, these findings reinforce the need to advocate for policies that create decent employment, expand vocational and professional training, support youth-owned enterprises and improve access to finance.

Africa’s demographic profile offers enormous potential, but population growth alone will not automatically produce a demographic dividend. That opportunity depends on sustained investments in education, health, skills, enterprise development, digital infrastructure and inclusive political institutions.

Without such investment, the continent’s youthful population could face deepening unemployment, irregular migration, social exclusion and declining confidence in public institutions.

Artificial Intelligence Presents Opportunities and Risks

Artificial intelligence featured prominently in the Caucus’s deliberations, reflecting its growing influence on employment, education, public administration, communications and political participation.

The African Youth Survey indicates that many young Africans generally view artificial intelligence as a force for innovation and progress. At the same time, they are concerned that the technology could facilitate the creation and rapid spread of misinformation and fake news.

These concerns are particularly important for parliaments because AI is expected to reshape labour markets, democratic communication and access to information.

The Youth Caucus could therefore play a role in encouraging investment in digital literacy, coding, data science and AI-related skills while advocating for safeguards that protect young people against exploitation, disinformation, algorithmic discrimination and the misuse of personal data.

Members’ consideration of artificial intelligence also points to the need for Africa to become a producer, rather than merely a consumer, of emerging technologies.

Supporting youth-led innovation, research institutions, technology start-ups and locally developed digital solutions would help ensure that Africa’s young people participate meaningfully in the global digital economy.

Youth Migration Requires More Balanced Responses

Youth migration was identified as another major priority.

Migration by young Africans is often driven by a combination of unemployment, political instability, insecurity, poor governance, climate-related pressures and the search for education and professional opportunities.

The Caucus’s work could contribute to a more balanced continental approach that recognises both the challenges and potential benefits of migration.

While irregular migration exposes young people to exploitation, trafficking, abuse and death along dangerous routes, well-managed mobility can promote education, skills development, remittances, cultural exchange and regional integration.

Parliamentary action should therefore address the underlying conditions that compel young people to leave their communities while also expanding legal opportunities for mobility within Africa.

This includes supporting the implementation of continental free-movement initiatives, strengthening mutual recognition of qualifications, facilitating student and professional exchanges and ensuring that migration policies respect the dignity and rights of young Africans.

APRM Partnership to Strengthen Youth Participation

The meeting also considered the role of the African Peer Review Mechanism in expanding youth participation in governance.

Mr. Lennon Monyae presented outcomes from the 2025 Youth Economic Forum and outlined ongoing initiatives relating to youth participation, the review of the African Youth Charter and preparations for the Africa Governance Report 2027.

The African Peer Review Mechanism is an African Union instrument through which participating Member States assess governance performance, share good practices and identify areas requiring reform. Its collaboration with the Pan-African Parliament offers an opportunity to connect research and youth consultations with parliamentary debate, lawmaking and oversight.

Members welcomed the continued cooperation between the two institutions and stressed that youth perspectives should contribute directly to continental policymaking.

The planned Africa Governance Report 2027 is expected to focus on youth in governance. The APRM has publicly identified the development of the report as one of its ongoing areas of work.

This process could provide an important platform for examining the barriers preventing young Africans from participating fully in elections, political parties, parliaments, public administration and other decision-making institutions.

It could also generate evidence-based recommendations on electoral reform, youth representation, civic education, political financing and the creation of more inclusive governance systems.

African Youth Charter Marks 20 Years

The discussions took place as the African Union prepares to assess the African Youth Charter two decades after its adoption.

Adopted on 2 July 2006, the Charter is the continent’s principal legal framework for protecting the rights, duties and freedoms of people between the ages of 15 and 35. It entered into force in August 2009.

The Charter addresses education, employment, sustainable livelihoods, youth participation, health, peace and security, culture, gender equality and the responsibilities of governments towards young people.

The APRM has begun a process to appraise the Charter at 20 and assess whether it remains responsive to the needs of the present generation. In April 2026, the Mechanism called for youth technical experts to participate in that review.

Earlier recommendations from the APRM Youth Symposium also called for targeted governance reviews that would contribute to the Charter’s appraisal and urged the establishment of an African Union Youth Fund to finance youth-development initiatives.

The Youth Caucus can make an important contribution to this process by examining the extent to which Member States have ratified, domesticated and implemented the Charter.

It can also identify gaps between continental commitments and the realities confronting young people in employment, education, political participation and access to public services.

Turning Africa’s Demographic Potential Into Development

The first meeting of the Youth Caucus under the Seventh Legislature has established a broad and ambitious agenda.

Its priorities recognize that youth empowerment is connected to virtually every major challenge facing the continent, including economic transformation, democratic governance, migration, technological change, peace and security.

The Caucus will, however, need to translate these priorities into practical parliamentary interventions.

These may include resolutions, recommendations, oversight hearings, policy dialogues, partnerships with youth organizations and closer engagement with national and regional parliaments.

It could also promote the development of youth-responsive budgets, encourage Member States to implement the African Youth Charter and support measures that expand the representation of young people in elected and appointed public institutions.

Most importantly, young Africans must be involved throughout the policy process. Consultation should not be treated as a ceremonial exercise after decisions have already been made.

Young people should participate in identifying problems, developing policies, monitoring implementation and evaluating results.

As the Seventh Pan-African Parliament begins its legislative work, the Youth Caucus has an opportunity to ensure that the voices of Africa’s young people are heard more clearly within the continent’s principal parliamentary institution.

Its ultimate success will be determined by whether its deliberations contribute to jobs, skills, enterprise opportunities, responsible technological innovation and governance systems in which young Africans can participate confidently and meaningfully.