In support of the 2017 African Union theme of the year “Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investments in Youth” and on the occasion of the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Embassy of the Republic of Estonia together with the African Union organized a panel discussion on “How to Provide Opportunities to Youth and Create New Jobs. Digital Solutions” on 15th November 2017. The panel was organised to coincide with the visit of the President of Estonia, H.E. Mrs. Kersti Kaljulaid.
Panelists included;
- Mrs. Kersti Kaljulaid, President of the Republic of Estonia,
- Ms. Giovanie Biha, Deputy Executive Secretary, UNECA
- Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, UN Resident Coordinator in Ethiopia
- Mr. Désiré Assogbavi, Chief of the UNFPA Liaison Office and Representative to the African Union and the UNECA
The President of Estonia, H.E. Mrs. Kersti Kaljulaid presented the lessons learned from her country in developing the digital sector especially around better education on digital and ICT. She underlined the opportunity that the digital constitutes for more accessible and cheaper governance (‘e-governance’). The President presented the opportunity of online education for Africa as the same education could be available wherever people are located. She underlined the need of cyber-hygiene to prevent issues of IT security breaches.
The UNECA Deputy Executive Secretary, Ms. Giovanie Biha spoke on the concept of the demographic transition in Africa and underlined the increasing proportion of African youth within the continent and global population. She emphasized the issue of youth unemployment in Africa (young people make up 60% of the unemployed and the rate is higher for young women). The Deputy Executive Secretary suggested linking the private sector, academics and governments to ensure the access to education in the digital sector.
The UN Resident Coordinator in Ethiopia, Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa discussed the need to use the digital revolution to empower young people. According to her, the digital age has enabled young people to engage with and empower other members of society, becoming a critical capacity. On a continent where young people are often perceived as a challenge or threat, the digital age can help build the perception of a positive and useful youth bulge.
The Chief of the UNFPA Liaison Office and Representative to AU and ECA, Mr. Désiré Assogbavi introduced specific data on the digital revolution around the world and in Africa. He noted that 90% of all jobs across all sectors will require Information Technology skills, it is therefore critical to ensure that young people in Africa are properly trained in Information Communication Technologies. He underlined some of the best practices from and within countries such as Estonia, Uruguay and Kenya. The Chief of the UNFPA Liaison Office stated the importance of gender equality in educating and hiring young people in the digital sector. A conducive business environment should be created to enable young people to develop their businesses including in the digital space.
