The 4th edition of YouthConnekt Africa (YCA) Summit is slated to take place from October 20 to 22. The hybrid event will be hosted by Ghana’s Ministry of Youth and Sports, in Accra. The summit is an annual convening that connects youth from Africa and beyond with policy influencers, political leaders, public and private development sector institutions, to engage and accelerate youth empowerment efforts at the continent level. The last edition of the summit was held in 2019, in Kigali convening with over 3,800 participants from 90 countries and about 60 speakers. Rosemary Mbabazi, Rwanda’s Minister of Youth and Culture who presided over the official virtual launch of the summit, on September 15, stressed how important the summit was in youth empowerment. She said that since its inception it has created a distinct kind of support to the youth like skills development, entrepreneurship and access to finance and jobs. “Empowering the young generation to benefit from their full potential will only be reached by collective efforts from all actors, acting towards a common goal of establishing an appropriate conducive environment that valorise and promote distinctive capabilities of youth in all sectors,” she added. Mbabazi added that the YCA Summit is expected to set concrete actions that will position African youth to lead the acceleration of the AfCFTA and advance intra-regional trade. According to organisers, the theme of the summit this year is: “Africa Beyond Aid: Positioning the youth for the post-Covid Economy and AfCFTA Opportunities” “This edition of the YouthConnekt Summit post COVID19 offers an opportunity for young and all stakeholders to engage on challenges, opportunities and mitigation measures to enable young people to thrive and build back better.” Read a statement. “The summit will provide a platform for all partners involved in youth development to synergize around policies, programs and partnerships that position African youth to accelerate the AfCFTA and advance regional integration” The YCA was initiated by President Kagame in 2012, and 23 countries have since joined the initiative.
