Such new institutions will be charged with mobilizing sufficient capital for business expansion for youth entrepreneurs, he said, adding that such institutions would be fully designed to meet specific needs of entrepreneurs not catered for under current funding systems.

« When there’s an opportunity, youth need to strategize without fear. We need to lift the potential of young Africans to ensure that they benefit from the inclusion of youth in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), » said Jean Chrysostome Ngabitsinze, Rwanda’s Minister of Trade and Industry.

Discussions of the participants centered on enabling Africa’s youth to be part of an inclusive and resilient Africa by creating an environment that allows them to provide innovative solutions and ideas for the continent’s development.
The summit is Africa’s largest annual youth summit. It is a continental initiative with the mission to empower young people by enhancing their knowledge, experiences and skills while investing in their ideas, innovations and initiatives to harness Africa’s demographic dividend.

The theme of this year’s summit is « Accelerating Investments in Youth: Resilient Youth, Resilient Africa. »

There are more than 226 million people aged from 15 to 24 on the continent, according to the UN.