Youth, Governance and the Digital Age

This year’s International Youth Day theme: “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development” focuses on the crucial role played by young people using digital tools and platforms to drive sustainable development. Historically, this day is marked to prioritise reflection on the youth. One of the most transformative forces in the world today is digitalization. It holds unprecedented opportunities for youth to accelerate sustainable development in their communities. Every day, the ingenuity of young people presents the world with a new electronic, a new platform, and with the advancements in Artificial Intelligence, the youth are harnessing digital tools to produce tangible impact towards global efforts for achieving sustainable development.

Celebrating the International Youth Day started in 1998, following a meeting of Ministers Responsible for Youth from different countries that happened in Lisbon, Portugal. It was agreed that a special day be identified to highlight the contributions of youth to society. A resolution was thus adopted that August 12 be officially gazetted as International Youth Day.

This day therefore annually reminds us to think about how to improve the condition of young people. The United Nations is keen about this day, and often takes the occasion of its celebration to urge for sustainable approaches to development in order to conserve resources for future generations.

This day should not only elevate international attention to concerns affecting young people, but also bring us awareness that the youth concerns are everybody’s concern. Issues such as access to education and healthcare, economic opportunity and good governance, among others – are not merely concerns for youth leaders. Whereas the youth may take the lead, it remains the duty of the whole society to address them.

The world is certainly a better place for everyone when youth have platforms to proactively contribute to their societies.  We should therefore support them, believing that realising their aspirations will benefit everyone.

The LéO Africa Institute was founded with the vision of supporting young and emerging leaders to live high-impact and fulfilled lives.

The Institute recognizes how promptly the digital world changes, and is cognizant of the challenges as well as opportunities which this change brings on human populations and the environmental eco-system.

We thus resolved within the breadth of our will and the reach of our resources to equip youthful African leaders with transformational and ethical leadership skills with the faith and hope that these leaders will form the nucleus for building better societies, and indeed a better world.

Reflecting on the peculiar demographic quality that is the youth, we take the opportunity to reckon with them on this International Youth Day and restate our commitment to engage and empower them. If you are a youth out there, know that we are passionate about working with you to create change in your personal life and your community.

This year, we have been moved by the level of organization and the sense of urgency with which youth movements united under the concept of “Gen Z,” have challenged leaders to be accountable. From Kenya to Uganda, from Nigeria to Tanzania, young people have demanded responsible governance and shone a light on pressing social issues like high taxes, corruption and bad governance. For this, many have been arrested, and some have paid the ultimate price, but none have given up.

LéO Africa Institute is committed to actively contributing to shaping an environment where youth can succeed and contribute to a better world. We realize that the youth are also determined to succeed and shape a better future for themselves, and we approve of their struggles to this end.

Indeed, we are inspired by African youth revolutionaries who took the reins of power at young ages, yet left legacies of individual integrity with a public record of sustaining values – based leadership. These African heroes of yore still shape how we think about leadership and the role of youth participation in it.

We shall continue supporting and working with young and emerging leaders to build their individual and collective capacity to live high-impact and successful lives.

We shall continue leveraging our network of outstanding thought leaders and extended networks across the continent and globally to provide training, mentorship and coaching for young and emerging leaders in East Africa.

We shall never give up on Africa’s youth.

Happy International Youth Day!