African youth ask African leaders to champion their dev't

African youth have been left out in African Union (AU) development programs on the continent which makes it hard for young people to realise their dreams and aspirations, says Francine Muyumba, the president of the Pan-African Youth Union (PYU).

PYU is the apex body for national youth coordinating bodies and mechanism in Africa.

Speaking to Xinhua on Monday on the sidelines of the AU summit in Rwanda's capital Kigali, Muyumba said that exclusion of young people from Africa development priorities puts them on the periphery of the continent's growth.

Rwanda hosts the 27th AU summit from July 10th to 18th under the theme,"2016: African Year of Human Rights, with particular focus on the Rights of Women."

"The major problem of the young people of the African continent is lack of funds to support their project ideas and incubations. We call upon our leaders on the continent to create the African fund for the development of the youth," She noted.

Muyumba stated that there's a need to establish a high-level committee on youth composed of heads of states to carry out a concrete tangible actions in favour of the youth, especially since the year 2017 will be devoted to the youth of the continent.

"The youth fund will serve to invest in the projects that will transform African young people and bring sustainable development. Investing in the youth is investing in the future of our continent which lays a strong foundation towards realization of the Africa agenda 2063."

According to United Nations, more than 73 million youths are unemployed across the world, making the youth three times more likely than adults to be unemployed.

Jean Philbert Nsengimana, Rwanda Minister of Youth and ICT echoed Muyumba's remarks and emphasized on the importance of supporting Africa young people's development initiatives.

"Young people should be at centre of sustainable development agenda of the continent. The most economic and social changes in any country usually come from the youth because they have the energy and desire to contribute to the country's growth," he said.

In 2009 Africa heads of state and governments' summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, declared 2009-18 the "African Youth Decade" and resolved to mobilize resources, including from the private sector for youth development.

With almost 200 million people between the ages of 15 and 24, the African continent boasts the youngest population in the world.

By 2045, the figure is expected to double, according to the World Bank. Enditem