African Youth urged to champion continent integration

Africa's young people who account for 70 percent of the population, have the potential to unlock barriers to Africa integration, says Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, chairperson of the African Union Commission.

She was speaking on Thursday during a community conversation with Kigali Global Shapers hub - an arm of the Global Shapers community in an event held in Kigali.

The Global Shapers Community, an Initiative of the World Economic Forum, is a network of localised hubs developed and led by young people in their respective countries.

The meeting under the theme: "Africa we want" dwelt on engaging young people to take the lead in championing continent integration.

"The youth needs to find its way to the top through creating their own environment to achieve their potential. You are part of the Africa we want now, but above all you're the future Africa. Shape that future," Dlamini Zuma told young people.

She noted that African governments need to lift travel restrictions to allow free flow of creative ideas and skills across Africa as the continent.

"As young people you need to identify your responsibility in creating an environment that allows all the youth in Africa to achieve their full potential."

The AU chairperson stated that citizens need to play their role and push their leaders towards the Africa integration that allows all citizens to exploit the available resources for improved livelihoods and incomes.

Mrs. Dlamini Zuma is in Kigali ahead of the 27th AU summit that will be held in Rwanda's Capital Kigali from July 10th-18th under the theme; "2016: African Year of Human Rights, with particular focus on the Rights of Women".

According to Louise Mushikiwabo, Rwanda minister of foreign affairs, Young Africans should promote experience sharing to remove the fear of opening the continent's borders.

"To open our borders, we have to look at both economic and cultural benefits. There are plenty of them. As Africans we have no reason whatsoever to not trade between ourselves and deepen integration," she said.

East African partner countries comprising Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda are rolling out various regional integration initiatives, including the introduction of identity cards as valid travel documents to ease the movement of people across the three countries' borders.

For the past 30 years, Africa has attempted to address free movement, but nothing concrete has materialized. African Union's target is to abolish visa requirements for Africans. Endit