The government has been urged to urgently foster an enabling environment for digital innovation and entrepreneurship among the youth, popularly known as Gen Zs, as part of efforts to turn the country’s “youth bulge” into an economic dividend.
This call comes in the wake of the recent wave of youth-led protests, dubbed the “Gen Z” movement, which highlighted the need for reforms in governance, accountability, and development. On the occasion to mark International Youth Day 2024, yesterday, experts and lobby groups asked the government to expand opportunities for youth involvement in the Kenyan economy.
According to the Africa Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the full implementation of Africa’s free trade area will help Kenya and other African countries tap the record number of young people in the continent today to unlock fast economic growth in many countries. Afreximbank President Benedict Oramah noted that the speedy implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is an opportunity to turn the youth bulge into a dividend.
Kenya, which is also grappling with a youth bulge like many African countries was the first country in the eastern Africa region to ratify the trade deal after the National Assembly adopted it. “Sprouting everywhere in a fragmented continent, the African youth are poised to make giant strides in a single continental market and could seamlessly become the drivers of Africa’s integration and intra-African trade,” said Prof Oramah in a recent statement.
“Policies that give them intellectual property protection, ease the cost of doing business as well as improve access to the single African market will unleash their entrepreneurial drive. A vibrant single market will open a new vista of opportunities that will broaden the choices available to the youth and empower them to reach their potential.”
Other experts pointed out that several challenges still need to be addressed urgently to avoid the ticking time bomb.
“These include reducing the digital divide, especially by increasing access to rural and hard-to-reach areas, as well as to persons with disabilities, eliminating high technology costs, inadequate and unreliable infrastructure, and enforcement of patency to innovations from youth,” National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) said in a statement.
According to experts, some of the concerns raised by youth entrepreneurs include the prohibitive cost of starting and expanding businesses due to high taxes levied on innovators in sectors like music, art, and farming.
Cybersecurity threats, including cyberbullying, identity theft, Technologically Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV), and online harassment, fraud, and hacking and scam, phishing, were also identified as significant risks faced by the youth.
Despite these challenges, various initiatives have not only narrowed the digital gap but have also encouraged youth-led initiatives in various sectors, including e-commerce, governance, leadership, agriculture, education, and healthcare, experts say.
The large-scale protest movement mounted by Kenyan youth over the past two months, known as the “Gen Z” protests, demonstrated the power of digital technology according to analysts.
The youth effectively, consistently, and systematically applied digital social spaces to demand social change.
“We should all endeavour to empower young people to realise their full potential. The Commission reaffirms its commitment to promoting gender equality and freedom from discrimination to the youth of Kenya,” NGEC said.
Kenya’s population is predominantly youthful, with individuals under the age of 35 making up about 75 per cent of the population, equivalent to about 35.7 million people (KNBS, 2019).
This demographic expression holds immense potential for revolutionising the country’s economy through digital investments.
The National Council on Population and Development (NCPD) has acknowledged that the youth bulge presents both opportunities and challenges for the country.
“The current number of youth presents an opportunity for them to drive the economy if they have the right skill sets and are gainfully engaged. However, youth face many challenges including lack of access to reproductive health, skills to match the job market requirement, and unemployment, among others. Developing and implementing appropriate strategies, policies, and programmes to mitigate the risks and challenges the youth face must be a priority for the government,” the NCPD said in a past policy brief.
As the international community marks this year’s International Youth Day with the theme “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development,” the government is being called upon to prioritise the empowerment of its youthful population through digital innovation and entrepreneurship.
