The CEO of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), Dr. Ibrahim Mayaki participated in a webinar aimed at discussing key issues on Africa’s development, with Africa’s youth. The webinar themed, ‘Lending an ear to Africa's youth, took place on Tuesday, March 16. It brough together six young people from six regions in Africa. The selected youth discussed with the CEO, their perceptions on the issues they face and the role they should play in Africa's socio-economic development. Through this event, Dr. Mayaki reiterated that it is essential to give voice to African youth to solve the continent's development challenges.

The webinar provided a space for students to express their ideas on issues of governance, regional integration, pan-Africanism, agriculture, the digital economy, and also learnt about AUDA-NEPAD's activities in the process.

This exchange is critical and timely, especially when one considers that young people under the age of 25 represent 75% of the African population and that by 2050, the continent will have 362 million people aged 15 to 24 (World Bank, 2014). A youth population which is waking up and wants to discuss with continental leaders on the type of political regime and model of society that the African population, especially the younger generation, wants to see emerge, is on the rise.

Dr. Ibrahim Mayaki said it was time to strengthen the confidence of young people in institutions, to reframe the debate so that they [young people] are seen as part of the solution and not part of the problem . This, he deemed as crucial, especially since the new digital age makes the gap between the aspirations of young Africans and the socio-economic reality they face even more visible and less bearable.  ‘This situation’, he said,  increases the pressure on African decision makers to develop dynamic and concrete solutions to meet the growing demands of youth’

During the discussions, the six participants emphasised the importance of accelerating youth empowerment and finding adequate channels for their voices to be heard in order to make them actors of the continent's transformation.

Participants were informed on how AUDA-NEPAD addresses development issues through its programs such as the Youth Training and Education Program, the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) and the Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA).

This exchange reaffirmed AUDA-NEPAD's commitment to put youth at the heart of sustainable development and to encourage political actors to involve African youth more in contemporary debates.