The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Mr Akinwumi Adesina has said that youth unemployment and poverty are factors driving insecurity and migration on the continent.
According to a statement issued by the bank on Friday, Adesina said this at a Diplomatic Luncheon he hosted for ambassadors in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
“Youth unemployment and poverty are among the factors that drive insecurity as well as migration.
“The AfDB is tackling this issue through its Jobs for Youth in Africa strategy.
“I do not believe that the future of Africa’s youth lies in Europe, the USA, Latin America, Asia, or anywhere else in the world.
“Their future must lie in an Africa that is growing well, with inclusive growth, and able to deliver quality jobs and livelihoods for its youth,” the AfDB president said.
Adesina expounded that Africa’s demographic asset, with 477 million youths under the age of 35, should not become a global externality, adding that the aim of the bank’s Jobs for Youth in Africa strategy was to create 25 million jobs and provide skills for 50 million young people.
He further highlighted the efforts of the bank on youth empowerment and development and addressing health deficit infrastructures, adding that the bank would provide three billion dollars to finance health infrastructure on the continent over the next 10 years.
