—– Says the continent’s youthful population, if properly empowered, could become its greatest asset rather than a looming challenge.
Director, UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development, New Delhi, India, Prof. Obijiofor Aginam, made this known while speaking on a topic “Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (UNESCO MGIEP),” on the programme, Beyond the Headlines on Freedom Square TV, anchored by Uchenna Cyril Anioke.
Prof. Aginam, called on African leaders to urgently invest in the continent’s growing youth population by prioritising education and skills development as a pathway to peace and sustainable development.
According to him, “ Education for Peace goes beyond the numeracy and literacy, cognitive mastery of the theories and practices of various disciplines. It explores the key competences of what UNESCO promotes as to emotional learning. These competences include: critical thinking, mindfulness, empathy and compassion. If you have some of these qualities, then you are building a peaceful society. You are trying to develop individuals who will believe ethically, who will have respect for one another whether in the classroom for students and also outside the education system for young adults and for everybody. The UNESCO constitution is built on the fact that since war starts in the mind of men and women, it is in the mind of men that there is a necessity for peace. Peace should be built. If you look at the UNESCO constitution of 1945, the preamble is actually the key provision in that constitution. So education for peace looks at how to mainstream these competences for empathy, compassion, kindness, critical thinking into the educational system.”
“Africa’s demographic reality presents a unique opportunity that must be strategically harnessed through quality education, vocational training, digital skills acquisition, and inclusive policies that prepare young people for leadership and innovation,” he said.
He emphasized that Africa’s youths are not a problem to be managed but a powerful force to be developed. Investing in their education and skills is investing in peace, stability, and long-term development. He warned that failure to meaningfully engage young people could worsen unemployment, insecurity, irregular migration, and social unrest across the continent.
“Africa has the largest youth population and what are you doing to tap into that dividend? African Youths are crossing, taking risks, crossing the Mediterranean to go into Europe. They do this in search of so-called opportunities in Europe. What are the opportunities for them in Africa? We talk about this all the time that Africa has the largest youth population but they are frustrated. They are frustrated because of unemployment, they are frustrated because of the climate crisis. They look at the future and try to forecast the future but the future they have is very bleak. So if they show restlessness, you don’t blame them. I am not supporting violence. When I had the African youth summit at Uganda, a lot of young people were there. I spoke with them.
Continuing, I told them that violence is not the best way to address their concerns. You know things get out of hand because of frustration. Africa is sitting on a time bomb, because if we don’t address youth restlessness, youth unemployment. It is going to hit Africa. We saw what happened in Bangladesh, Iran. A few years ago, we saw what happened in Nigeria in terms of ENDSARS. I wish the government should find ways of resolving these challenges,” he said.
Prof. Aginam urged governments to move beyond rhetoric by committing adequate funding to education, supporting entrepreneurship, and creating enabling environments where young Africans can thrive.
He emphasised the need for regional cooperation, innovative policies, and partnerships with the private sector to ensure that youth empowerment initiatives translate into tangible outcomes.
As Africa continues to record one of the fastest-growing youth populations globally, Prof. Aginam’s message serves as a timely reminder that the continent’s future peace and prosperity largely depend on how well today’s young people are educated, skilled, and empowered.