NAIROBI, Aug. 24– The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an East African bloc, on Monday urged governments and the private sector to invest in youth empowerment programs covering education, skills development, and entrepreneurship. Workneh Gebeyehu, IGAD executive secretary, said a partnership between the public and private sectors in the region is required to unlock opportunities for the youth in technology, innovation, agriculture, and renewable energy sectors that hold the key to shared prosperity. According to Gebeyehu, empowering young people and leveraging their innovations will contribute to sustainable economic growth in their respective countries. “We must harness the youth‘s potential to promote sustainable development, peace, and security in IGAD member states,” Gebeyehu said in a statement released in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi to mark International Youth Day, which falls on Aug. 12 each year.
He appealed to the regional governments to address the various challenges that young people face, such as unemployment, political instability, climate change, irregular migration, displacement, and human trafficking. Gebeyehu noted that with more than 60 percent of the region’s population comprising young people, the governments can tap their energy, creativity, and resilience in addressing multiple socio-economic challenges. The IGAD chief stressed that fostering an inclusive culture and encouraging active participation of the youth will be key to building strong communities, adding that IGAD has developed the regional youth policy framework and also appointed a regional youth envoy. He added that the economic bloc is dedicated to empowering the youth and integrating their perspectives into the regional agenda for growth, peace, and stability. He said IGAD is committed to fostering meaningful youth engagement in decision-making processes by ensuring that their voices contribute to shaping a collective future for communities in the region.
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