2022 YouthConnekt Africa summit ends in Rwanda with calls to invest in youth

The 5th edition of the youth connect summit ended in Kigali, Rwanda Saturday (Oct. 15) after 3 days of conferences, masterclasses and networking sessions.

Thousands of young innovators and leaders from all across the world attended the event to discuss different ways to promote growth and advancement for the youth of the African continent.

This year’s summit was on the theme “Accelerating investments in Youth: Resilient Youth, Resilient Africa”. 

It brought together participants from 30 African countries to discuss and chart a way forward on how to involve the youth in Africa’s trade, health, climate resilience and financing, technology, and skilling for the future among other topics.

Ritah Karen, a student, was very much inspired by the sessions: "I feel very important being a youth, I learned from the Deputy President of Kenya that there is no elevator to success but we should take the steps, and I also learned that hard work without purpose, and discipline, nothing can ever be fulfilled."

Lack of funding

According to findings by the United Nations Development Programs, UNDP, 42% of Young people in Africa don’t have access to the funding needed to run their businesses.

They, therefore, fall to get that funding. Sometimes their ideas remain in the back of their brains and they are unable to take their dreams to the market and reach their customers. 

Speaking to Africanews, entrepreneur Arnold Nyendwa shared his thoughts on investments in Youth.

"Accelerating investment is about taking decisive decisions, it’s about taking action because when you look at the problems that are affecting Africa, the solutions are there. Young people are now creating solutions, but there is no support system."

High-level delegates including President Paul Kagame stressed that the youth are a resilient movement that will contribute to a prosperous 2063 agenda for a better Africa. 

The African Union (AU)'s 2063 agenda is the continent’s framework which aims to deliver on goals for inclusive and sustainable development according to the AU, it is a manifestation of the "pan-African drive for unity, self-determination, freedom, progress and collective prosperity".