Devex: How can the U.S. help address Africa’s youth bulge?
“Africa’s youth population is growing rapidly and within 30 years the continent will be home to about one-quarter of the world’s youth. At a recent congressional hearing, experts discussed how the U.S. government can help create opportunities for youth and and turn the ‘youth bulge’ into a positive force on the continent. Too often the focus is on the risk that the youth population represents, but they can be peaceful drivers of political change and they need education and employment opportunities, Rep. Karen Bass, the Democratic chair of the House Foreign Affairs sub-committee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations, said at a hearing of the subcommittee on Thursday. A group of Africa policy experts shared their recommendations about how U.S. policies can address the growing youth population. Those experts offered a series of recommendations: leadership training, support for [small and medium enterprises (SMEs)], education and skills training, and trade policy changes…” (Saldinger, 2/17).