Investing on Youth, Preventing Brain Drain in Africa Pivotal to Ensure Peace & Security

Addis Ababa February 4/2022/ ENA/ Coalition on Media and Education for Development Africa Forum (CAFOR) has urged that Africa must invest in letting its youth-the largest population-get quality education, relevant skills and encourage them to work in Africa in order to enhance peace and security in the continent.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, Coalition on Media and Education for Development Africa Forum (CAFOR) Executive Director Lawalley Cole said Africa is going through some kind of transformation.

The number of uneducated and unemployed youth in Africa is increasing, he stated, and stressed “this is a big threat for peace and security in any country of Africa and the whole continent.”

“We have a very large youth population, young people who are not educated, who do not have jobs …and they are getting bigger and bigger in number in each country and that is a big threat for peace and security in any country of Africa and the whole continent,” Cole elaborated.

According to Executive Director, Africa must focus on investing in education, developing industries, creating jobs in order to avoid the brain drain of its skilled youth.

The African youth should get quality education, relevant skills and apply them here in Africa, he added.

The educated youth must remain in Africa, Cole said, adding that “there are too many development issues to be tackled.”

“Today, more than 30 million children have no access to education in Africa. Experience in Sub-Saharan Africa is under a big threat for the future of the continent.  Therefore we must do something to make sure that African children go to school, they are well educated, have relevant skills and apply them on jobs within the African continent,” he noted.

Furthermore, the Executive Director said that COVID-19 is the continent’s biggest challenge and to stop lockdowns due to the pandemic, Africa must accelerate vaccinating the population, and start business running.

CAFOR is a forum with various organizations, experts and individuals who are committed to ensuring that education systems in Africa are relevant to young Africans with newly acquired skills that correspond with what obtains in the labour market within the African continent.