President Paul Kagame has issued a rallying call for African leaders to invest more in education initiatives tailored to the labor market demands if the continent is to take advantage of its demographic dividend of young people. According to the Head of State, African youth need to be prepared to take advantage of the opportunities in science and technology.

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"The bottom line is that we must invest in building stronger education systems,” Kagame maintained while addressing the Continental Forum on Education and Youth Employability in Nouakchott, Mauritania, on Tuesday, December 10. The forum, organized by the African Union (AU) in partnership with UNICEF, brought together leaders to engage in transformative dialogue and action to strengthen advocacy for best practices implemented under education as the AU theme of the Year.

In Mauritania, he joined fellow African and global leaders, including the host President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, who is the current Chairperson of the African Union, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune of Algeria, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal, and African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, as well as UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban.

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The economic impact of giving every child the right to learn, should not be underestimated, he said, adding that studies show that for every additional year, earnings increase by 10 percent.

"As we speak, many young Africans are putting their lives in danger to go find better opportunities abroad. This is a sign that we need to do more to empower our youth. Africa is our common home, and we must ensure that every African has a future in this continent,” President Kagame said.

He stressed that African countries must allocate resources more strategically, to ensure that young people have the skills they need to steer the continent towards socioeconomic transformation. He also pointed out that it could be achieved through partnerships and having a sense of ownership to consider investing in education and the skilling of young people as a priority.

"It is Africa’s responsibility to better manage our resources. Relying on external support alone is not a realistic strategy. Effective partnerships should not be confused with outsourcing responsibility or leadership. It is not a question about being big or small, or having sufficient resources. It is about making the right choices. This is well within Africa’s means.”

Kagame challenged African countries to take ownership, observing that through this the continent could become "even more attractive” for global partnerships.

The two-day forum is expected to assess the progress made by AU member states in implementing international commitments on education, primarily the Fourth Sustainable Development Goal and the Continental Strategy on Education for Africa.