Tanzania ex-president urges opportunities for African youth

KIGALI, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa on Tuesday called on African economies to create opportunities for their ever-growing youth population in order to address the issue of young people leaving the continent for Europe and other continents for jobs.

He was speaking at an international conference organized by the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), the country's ruling party, as part of the activities marking its 30th anniversary.

The conference, held at the party headquarters in Rwandan capital city Kigali, is under the theme: "Liberation and transformation: Realizing a dignified and prosperous Africa."

It brought together about 1,000 delegates from Rwanda and beyond, including global scholars, leaders and economic experts.

"The reason as to why young people are leaving Africa for Europe and other continents, and some have been sold into slavery, is because lack of economic opportunities in their respective countries in Africa," said Mkapa.

"Africa stands to benefit from its critical human resources, the youth, who must be nurtured to enable their meaningful participation in national development efforts," he said.

Mkapa said one of the greatest challenges on the continent is the lack of employment opportunities and inadequate government support for the youth.

According to the Sustainable Development Goals Center for Africa, 18 million jobs will need to be created each year until 2035 on the continent to absorb the growing labor force.

African youth need to be bolstered by robust national policies and innovative solutions to the challenges they face, said U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer.

"African governments should have strategies that aim at increasing the level of social, economic, cultural and political participation of youth," Frazer said. Enditem