Does rural africa have a 'youth problem'?
- From
-
Published on
19.02.20
- Impact Area

More than 20 million young people aged 15-24 join the workforce in Africa south of the Sahara every year. These young job seekers will need to find work in today’s more competitive global economy, and not everyone thinks they will be successful.
Many governments are concerned about the prospect of widespread youth unemployment and the political unrest that this “youth bulge” could bring. Concerns are perhaps greatest for rural Africa, where global poverty is concentrating and job opportunities beyond smallholder farming are few and far between.
Although creating enough jobs in Africa is a daunting challenge, there are reasons for optimism. Many people highlight the fact that younger Africans are generally better educated than older generations and are often more comfortable with new technologies.
Photo credit: Mitchell Maher/IFPRI
Related news
-
Custodians of rare mango trees aim to increase returns for spice produced from fruit
CGIAR Initiative on Nature-Positive Solutions25.06.24-
Poverty reduction, livelihoods & jobs
Amchur, a spice made from unripe mangos, has high potential to increase incomes for tribal…
Read more -
-
The Nation: Why we need to invest in sustainable food systems
CGIAR24.06.24-
Nutrition, health & food security
-
Poverty reduction, livelihoods & jobs
Imagine going to your local market and finding empty shelves or skyrocketing prices for basic…
Read more -
-
Are rice systems sustainable in Sri Lanka? – A case of Deduru Oya reservoir irrigation scheme
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)23.06.24-
Food security
Paddy cultivation is significant in Sri Lanka, as 15% of the country’s land is dedicated…
Read more -