Under the theme “Jobs for Youth Through Innovative Skilling,” the summit focused on creating job opportunities through empowering young people in skills development. More than just an event, Youth Connekt serves as a platform for fostering leadership, building networks, and driving collaborative solutions for Africa’s future.

Attending the summit was my first time leaving the shores of Ghana, and it turned out to be truly an impactful experience. The summit wasn’t just about discussing change, but about the youth taking real action to drive Africa forward. Every interaction and discussion provided practical insights and concrete steps toward building a better future for the continent. 

Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, the UNDP Regional Director and UN Assistant Secretary-General, delivered a compelling message about the requisite qualities that the African youth should embody in the quest to building self, and shaping Africa’s future. She highlighted the importance of character, confidence, competence, and courage, emphasizing that authentic leadership begins with strong personal values that unite humanity and build a better continent.

While Africa’s youth represent the continent's greatest assets, the requisite skills, resources, or opportunities needed to thrive in today’s fast-evolving industries are underdeveloped or absent in some cases. Creating jobs for youth through innovative skilling is essential for shaping a sustainable and prosperous future. One key initiative rising to this challenge is Timbuktoo. Through the Timbuktoo initiative, hubs that channel sector-specific innovation for real impact are being created across Africa. By fostering spaces for sectors like AgriTech, FinTech, HealthTech, and Greentech, Timbuktoo seeks to enable African youth to engage with cutting-edge solutions and business models, keeping their talents and ideas alive and actionable. 

Across Africa, one area that holds immense potential for young people is agribusiness and agritech, a sector poised to drive the continent’s economic future and currently requires the creation of pathways that promote youth interest to engage in the industry and further unlock hidden potentials. With the promise of Timbuktoo’s Agritech Hub in Ghana, agriculture will be rebranded as a dynamic, innovative field that integrates new knowledge, innovation, technology, and sustainability to make the sector appealing, modern, and profitable. 

Establishing an Agritech hub in Ghana would bring transformative benefits, including job creation, sustainable food production, and improved food security through the integration of digital technology for climate-smart farming solutions, intelligent crop planning, and many more. To make this vision a reality, Africans, especially the youth, must take active ownership of this journey by investing in education, participating in policy discussions, and contributing to decisions that shape Africa’s shared future. Inspired by the Timbuktoo HealthTech Hub launched during the Connekt in Rwanda, I look forward to supporting the Timbuktoo initiative in Ghana. Together, we can drive innovation and resilience in agriculture for generations.

As partnerships between UNDP, African governments, educational institutions, and the private sector continue to support the creation of a robust ecosystem for skill development, we, the youth, must engage for practical experience and access to opportunities. With these efforts, we can harness the energy and creativity of Africa’s youth, including atypical rural youth, to drive economic growth and societal progress.

Drawing on the words of H.E. Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, at the 2024 Youth Connekt, "Africa has everything to be where it needs to be, to be who we have to be." This powerful quote serves as an inspiration to Africa's youth, reminding us that we possess the resources and potential to drive meaningful change and propel the continent forward.

Team Ghana captured in a group photo.

Group photo of some of the youth at the youth connekt summit 2024

By Prince Amedor, Project Assistant (UNV) in Ghana.