African Leaders Urged to Invest in Youth and Promote Homegrown Creativity

Queen Olori Atuwatse III of the Warri Kingdom in Nigeria and Ghana’s Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Ms Abla Dzifa Gomashie, have called for greater investment in young Africans and increased support for locally produced creative products to accelerate the continent’s development.

Speaking at the Elevate Africa Convening in Accra, Ghana, the two leaders have stressed the need to create opportunities for young people while strengthening African institutions and promoting the continent’s cultural identity.

Queen Olori Atuwatse III says young Africans are already demonstrating confidence, innovation and a willingness to experiment, transforming how business is conducted, how people communicate and how the continent engages with the world and that this potential of the younger generation must be matched with increased investment, access to capital, markets and institutions that enable them to succeed.

Queen Olori Atuwatse III has challenged the notion that young people must wait their turn to assume leadership roles, arguing that they are already contributing to Africa’s development and should be empowered to lead now.

Meanwhile, Ms Gomashie says Africa’s development has been hindered by the continent’s failure to work together, noting that African countries need to harness their diversity for collective progress.

She says people-to-people connections through music, dance, fashion, food, visual arts and other cultural expressions could strengthen unity while promoting Africa’s identity to the world.