At an event organised by Africa Soft Power in collaboration with the Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, and African Women on Board, African governments have been urged to explore the potential of youths and women to develop the continent.
Business leaders, policymakers, and leading entrepreneurs from diverse industries gathered in Lagos with a shared vision to explore how Africa can secure its future by unlocking the power of its youth, culture, and creative economy.
The event, themed ‘Securing the Future: Youth Power, Culture, and the Creative Economy,’ featured panel discussions on the intricate relationship between digital platforms, technology, youth empowerment, and creative entrepreneurship.
Nkiru Balonwu, Founder and Creative Director of Africa Soft Power emphasised the importance of including young people and women in every leadership space.
“From #endsars to #Congoisbleeding and other social movements witnessed in recent years, we have seen what happens when we do not provide the needed inclusion and security for women and young people.
We will continue to have these conversations, shining the light on the immense opportunities that Africa’s soft power, deeply rooted in its vibrant culture and youthful population, offers for growth.”
Balonwu highlighted that while digital media and technological advancements provide African youth with platforms to express their talents and shape their own narratives, Africa Soft Power remains committed to advancing conversations that leverage this growth potential.
During the panel session moderated by Folashade Anozie, Founder & CEO of Nonconform Productions, Njideka Agbo, Founder and CEO of Glann Media Consult and former Editor of Guardian Life Magazine, pointed out that the lack of security and inclusion is responsible for the brain drain in Nigeria and parts of Africa.
“At a time, people were excited to come back to Nigeria, but all that has changed. In 2018, we were the 4th largest group of asylum seekers in the European Union because more and more people keep moving out in search of greener pastures, more opportunities, and better security.”
Hon Akintunde Oyebode, Commissioner of Finance & Economic Development, Ekiti State, added that the problem of security cannot be solved where there is an absence of fairness and justice.
“A big driver of crime is the absence of consequence; this is why you will find that in a society where there’s an absence of consequence, people often gravitate towards crime.
The challenge of security in Nigeria is a hydra-headed problem, and state capacity has been waning for a while and has gotten to a point where it is simply incapable of responding to social issues,” Akintunde said.
Other panellists, including Dr Seun Fakorede, Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Oyo State, and Adaora Ikenze, Director of Public Policy, Anglophone West Africa at Meta, agreed that while the creative and knowledge industries offer immense opportunities for young Africans, insecurity remains a significant threat.
They emphasised that the absence of security limits innovation and economic growth in many areas of the continent, urging African governments to prioritise the security of lives and properties as it impacts various aspects of society, including basic human rights, living standards, trade, prosperity, freedom of movement, access to education, and gender equality, among others.
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