AFRICA’s Youth, Champions And Leaders To Convene in Rwanda for YouthConnekt Africa .

Rwanda’s Ministry of Youth and Culture, in collaboration with the YouthConnekt Africa Hub, UNDP and other partners has organized the 5^th edition of the YouthConnekt Africa Summit under the theme Accelerating Investments in Youth: « Resilient Youth, Resilient Africa ». By Russell Kondowe

The summit will be held from 13 – 15 October 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda.

Building on its unique convening power, this edition of the continental annual youth gathering projects to attract over 10,000 participants from Africa and the rest of the World.

Through a range of plenaries, roundtables, youth labs, exhibitions, training sessions, exchange and networking lounges and pop-up events among other things, young people will have multiple occasions to network and directly exchange with governments and business leaders as well as representatives of international organizations, and present their solutions to Africa’s challenges.

Some of the thematics that will be addressed include: youth contribution to climate action and sustainable peace and security; cultural, creative Industry, and sports economy; skilling for the digital economy; agriculture and food systems; trade and youth health.

« We’re thrilled to be coming back to Kigali to host the 5^th Edition of this continental and powerful platform for Youth and Leaders across Africa. The wide range of thematics this year positions Africa’s youth as innovators and champions of Climate Resilience, Peace and Security, Africa’s Cultural and Creative Industry, Manufacturing, Trade, and Agriculture and Food Systems. We look forward to drawing on the knowledge and good practices of YouthConnekt Member Chapters and Partners, » Ms. Oulie Keita, Executive Director at YouthConnekt Africa Hub.

Speaking while announcing this year’s summit, Rwanda’s Minister of Youth and Culture, Hon. Rosemary Mbabazi noted:

« The Government of Rwanda recognises the central and transformative role the youth can play in our economic recovery not only as a major contributor to the economic workforce but as a source of innovative solutions as the world becomes more connected, » she said.

She added that the summit provides a platform where youth can meet with their African peers, exchange knowledge, and foster new ways of collaboration. We look forward to YouthConnekt Africa Summit 2022, at a time when the world seeks solutions to recover from the global crisis that has affected us over the past three years.

YouthConnekt Africa 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.

YouthConnekt takes a ‘platform approach to solving challenging development issues, and brings together a wide range of stakeholders, including heads of state, policymakers, business leaders, development partners, and the civil society, to address the multiple needs of young people while also fully involving them in the solution-building process.

The YouthConnekt Africa is a fast-growing continental platform with a presence in 28 countries.

To support knowledge development, a collaboration of member states, and coordination of a global network for the African ecosystem – the YouthConnekt Africa Hub, based in Kigali, Rwanda, was operationalized in 2020.