YouthConnekt Africa Summit returns to Kigali

The eighth edition of the YouthConnekt Africa Summit will take place in Kigali from November 25 to 27 under the theme “Shape the Generational Mission.” The event will bring together young people, policymakers, business leaders, investors and innovators from across the continent to discuss Africa's future in a rapidly changing global economy. ALSO READ: Over 200 entrepreneurs awarded at YouthConnekt awards The announcement was made on Wednesday, June 10, during a stakeholder engagement event in Kigali, where organisers outlined plans for a summit aimed at turning youth-led ideas into investment opportunities, policy reforms and cross-border partnerships. Organisers expect 5,000 delegates, 40 official delegates to attend the summit and 25,000 joining virtually from across Africa and beyond. Young people are expected to account for 85 per cent of the attendees. Rwanda hosted the 2024 edition of YouthConnekt Africa Summit. The 2025 edition was supposed to take place in Madagascar last November but it was postponed. Yann Gwet, the Executive Director of YouthConnekt Africa, said this year's theme is a call for young Africans, governments, businesses and development partners to respond collectively to a rapidly changing global landscape. “We are facing a very particular moment in time,” Gwet said. “Because of the nature of the challenges we are facing, we need to get our act together to make sure we provide actual solutions to our young people. Otherwise, if we fail to do that, the consequences will be dire for all of us.” He added that the theme recognises that today's economic and social challenges require bold action rather than conventional approaches. “These are unusual times, and they call for boldness. It cannot be business as usual. We have to understand what is happening across the globe and how we are going to be affected by the shocks taking place, while ensuring young people are equipped to turn those challenges into opportunities,” he said. Speaking at the event, Minister of Youth and Arts, Abdallah Utumatwishima, said this year's summit will challenge young Africans to take greater ownership of the continent's future amid growing global uncertainties. “We think it is high time that young people and African leaders put themselves to account and start taking responsibility for both the present and the future. What we are going through today, as a country and as a generation, is the fruit of our own hands,” he said. Utumatwishima added that the summit will bring together young people to explore pathways towards self-sufficiency in areas such as agri-food systems, cultural industries and entrepreneurship, while placing youth at the centre of Africa's transformation agenda. Myriam Sangaré, the Summit Coordinator at YouthConnekt Africa Hub, said the conference comes at a time when Africa's young population faces growing challenges ranging from unemployment and climate change to technological disruption and shifting global markets. ALSO READ: YouthConnekt a 'path to innovation, opportunity' “The younger generations will inherit the outcomes of the decisions made today, the question is, how can policymakers, private sector actors and young leaders work together to build a stable and integrated continental market that expands opportunities for young people and drives sustainable growth?” she said. This year's theme also reflects a growing call for young Africans to move beyond being mere participants in development conversations and become active architects of the continent's future, organisers said. The summit will centre discussions around six priority areas, including intra-African trade, governance, youth employment, climate resilience, the creative economy, and youth well-being. ALSO READ: Aguka Youth Fund, YouthConnekt Awards to propel young entrepreneurs’ growth One of the discussions, titled “Markets Without Borders”, will examine how the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), digital trade and artificial intelligence can create new opportunities for young entrepreneurs across the continent. Another session, “Beyond the Paycheck”, will look at the quality of jobs available to young Africans and explore ways of creating dignified and sustainable livelihoods in a changing labour market. Beyond policy discussions, organisers say the summit is increasingly positioning itself as a platform for action. This year's edition will introduce the “Youth-Friendly Companies Awards”, a initiative designed to recognise businesses that demonstrate leadership in youth employment and workplace inclusion. New formats, including youth-led deal rooms, interactive debates and technology talks, will also be introduced to help connect young innovators with investors and decision-makers. The summit builds on the growth of the YouthConnekt movement, which has expanded from six member countries at its launch in 2017 to 39 countries today. According to Patient Ndizeye, the Senior Programmes Lead at YouthConnekt Africa, the platform has evolved beyond an annual gathering into a continent-wide ecosystem supporting youth entrepreneurship, job creation and policy engagement. “Programmes implemented through YouthConnekt country chapters have contributed to the creation of more than 200,000 jobs while helping strengthen collaboration between governments, development partners and the private sector,” he said. Organisers say the summit will seek to build momentum around a shared vision of an integrated African market where young people are not only beneficiaries of development but drivers of it. YouthConnekt Africa Summit is the largest youth gathering on the continent, convening an average of 6,000 young Africans, the organisers said. Launched in Rwanda in 2017 as an initiative of President Paul Kagame, the Summit has grown into a continental platform that champions youth empowerment and collaboration.

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YouthConnekt Africa Summit returns to Kigali