Africa received recognition for its young population and vast socioeconomic potential at the recently concluded Global Impact Summit organized by YPO in Kigali, where participants said the continent’s population could shape the future of the world.

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The second YPO Global Impact Summit brought together over 236 chief executives of companies from more than 26 countries worldwide, with the aim of addressing global challenges including climate change, hunger, conflict, job creation, and access to education.

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Dimitri Syrris, Founder and CEO of Baotree and a member of YPO's Next Generation community, highlighted the significance of Africa's young workforce. He expressed the desire to collaborate, co-create, and connect with the next generation in Africa to build solutions not only for the continent but for the world.

Syrris stressed that African youth should not be excluded from important discussions on issues pertinent to the continent, such as hunger, food security, and climate change.

He further highlighted the urgency of addressing climate change, citing recent natural disasters in various African countries.

Companies need to adapt to the changing times and the role that youth will play in shaping the future, he said.

"I believe the youth are going to be a big piece of that key in unlocking the door to that future that we need, Syrris added "For that, they need to be aware, informed, and included.”.

For Yemi Osindero, a YPO member and Managing Partner at Uhuru Investment Partners, the African creative industry provides a critical channel to effect change in the world and enable the continent's young people to make their contribution to global solutions.

"Africa brings a lot to the table today. Everyone talks about the demographic explosion, which means we will be the centre of youth, but that is already happening today and those youth are contributing a tremendous amount," said Osindero.

"We talk about Africa's soft power, which encompasses the creative industry. I'm purposefully wearing African pants, designed in Africa by an African designer.”

"Everywhere you go, you hear Nigerian music. And people don't even know that it's Nigerian music, but they listen to it. It's the creative power that has been unleashed. So, you have that soft power of the creative industry."

Taha Bawa, the CEO and Co-Founder of Goodwall, a platform that connects young people and helps them showcase their talents, shared his organization's efforts to scale up services in Rwanda. Goodwall runs an entrepreneurship programme in Rwanda in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth and Arts, UNICEF, UNDP, Generation Unlimited, among other partners. The programme aims to provide entrepreneurship training to all young people in Rwanda, with a focus on climate ideas. Bawa highlighted the importance of public-private partnerships in achieving their goals.

The choice of Rwanda as the host country for the summit was motivated by the valuable lessons that can be learned from the country's reconciliation journey and progress.

YPO, with 35,000 members from 150 countries, is a global community of chief executives committed to making a positive impact in the world.