The African Academy of Languages (ACALAN), a specialised agency of the African Union, is set to hold a continental operational workshop to establish the ACALAN Continental Youth Committee for the Empowerment of African Languages (ACYCEAL).
The youth committee for language empowerment workshop will take place from May 27 to 28, 2025, at the African Union Commission Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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Themed ‘Empowering African Youth through Language Innovation and Digital Technologies’, the event aims to develop a framework that will engage young people across the continent in preserving, promoting, and innovating around African languages, particularly in the digital space.
Participants will include language experts, youth representatives, media professionals, and stakeholders from across Africa. Discussions will focus on developing practical strategies for linguistic empowerment, including integrating indigenous languages into digital technologies, education, and policy development.
The event is part of ongoing efforts to implement key African Union initiatives such as Aspiration 5 of Agenda 2063, the Language Plan of Action for Africa (LPAA), and ACALAN’s 2022–2032 Strategic Plan. It also supports Assembly Decision 796 on the adoption of Kiswahili as an official working language of the AU, and aligns with the objectives of the AU-endorsed Decade of African Languages.
Prince Cletus Ilobanafor, CEO of online media platform CEOAFRICA and a member of the African Languages Week Coordinating Committee (ALWCC), will join the workshop alongside other continental stakeholders. He is expected to take part in sessions on policy development, youth mobiliation, and collaboration between language innovators and digital technologists.
Organizers said the establishment of the youth committee marks a strategic step toward long-term investment in Africa’s linguistic diversity and cultural identity through the next generation of leaders and creators.
The workshop is expected to conclude with an operational roadmap for ACYCEAL and a set of action points for future implementation across member states.
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