Addis Ababa, July 8, 2025 (FMC) — The African Union (AU) has called for decisive and large-scale measures to address the continent’s persistent youth unemployment crisis, emphasizing the transformative potential of industrialization, innovation, and regional integration.
The call came as the Third African Job Creation Forum—a three-day continental gathering jointly organized by the AU, the Government of Ethiopia, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat—opened in Addis Ababa yesterday under the theme: “Advancing Job Creation and Economic Resilience through Regional Integration, Digital and Financial Inclusion along Agricultural Value Chains in the AfCFTA Market.”
With over 60 percent of Africa’s population under the age of 25, AU officials stressed that tackling youth unemployment through sustainable job creation is critical to the continent’s long-term economic prospects and social stability.
Delivering a keynote address, Ethiopia’s Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh said Africa is a continent rich with youth and aspirations.
“Our young people are not a burden—they are our strength and our promise,” he affirmed. “They represent the potential for growth and transformation. Ethiopia stands for that promise. We believe in Pan-African unity and in the African Continental Free Trade Area as a pathway to shared progress.”
Temesgen emphasized that the Third African Job Creation Forum should move beyond vision statements.
“This is the place where plans must turn into action—and action into lasting impact for skills development and shared prosperity across Africa.”
AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf echoed this urgency, stating that integration-driven job creation and economic resilience are now development imperatives.
“Africa contributes less than 3 percent to global value chains. The time for incremental action has passed. We must act at scale,” he urged.
Youssouf highlighted the agricultural sector as the continent’s largest employer—supporting more than 60 percent of African livelihoods—and called on businesses, both large and small, to embrace AfCFTA opportunities for industrial growth and trade.
He further emphasized the importance of leveraging emerging technologies and youth-led innovation to drive job creation in the digital economy, while underscoring the need for accessible and affordable capital to empower young entrepreneurs and enhance their role in value creation.
Throughout the forum, experts and policymakers are engaging in high-level discussions on regional integration, labor mobility, and the full operationalization of AU financial institutions—all aimed at unlocking decent and sustainable employment opportunities for Africa’s growing youth population.