African youth have been urged to harness the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement to access broader markets and economic prospects. This call was made during a youth-focused meeting organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) under the theme “Making the African Continental Free Trade Area Work for African Young People: Opportunities, Challenges and the Way Forward,” held at the UN Conference Center in Addis Ababa.
Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary of UNECA, emphasised that the successful implementation of the AfCFTA necessitates empowering Africa’s youth, noting that 60% of the continent’s population is under the age of 25. He highlighted the pressing socio-economic challenges, including high poverty levels affecting 476 million Africans, lack of electricity for 600 million people, and internet access limited to 37% of the population. Gatete underscored the importance of engaging young people in decision-making and development initiatives to address these issues effectively.
The AfCFTA aims to transform Africa into the world’s largest free trade area, creating a single market for goods and services for approximately 1.4 billion people with a combined gross domestic product of $3.4 trillion. To date, 48 African countries have deposited their instruments of ratification to the African Union, signalling their commitment to the agreement.
Ethiopian State Minister for Youth Affairs, Muna Ahmed, highlighted that the AfCFTA offers a historic opportunity to unlock the immense potential of Africa’s young people by expanding access to markets, fostering innovation, and creating sustainable employment opportunities.
The meeting, held on the margins of the 57th session of the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, explored ways for African youth to leverage the AfCFTA’s implementation and addressed development challenges affecting young Africans.
