Surrounded by other young talented individuals from diverse backgrounds and industries, I felt a sense of hope and excitement for the future of Africa coming alive. We gathered to engage in a conversation with Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, the UNDP Regional Director and UN Assistant Secretary General, on the topic of youth empowerment. 

Three different youth groups were present for the conversation thus, the UNDP/AFRIWOCC Youth Climate Activists, supported to attend CoP 28 in Dubai; Youth-owned MSMEs supported to Kenya to participate in an Expo; and a cross-section of atypical innovators benefiting from the Young Africa Innovates (YAI) Programme. The discussion was lively, insightful, and thought-provoking, leaving me with plenty of reflections to ponder.

One of the key takeaways from the conversation, was the importance of channeling our creativity, being innovative as youth, and keeping the determination to seize opportunities that we are presented with. 

Ms. Ahunna emphasized that the perspectives and ideas of youth are crucial in shaping the world we want to live in now and in the future. This resonated deeply with me, as I believe that often, young people are marginalized and excluded from decision-making processes, despite being the ones most impacted by these decisions.

Another significant point that emerged from the conversation was the need for inclusive and equitable opportunities for all. Ms. Ahunna highlighted the importance of addressing the systemic barriers and biases that prevent many young people, especially those from marginalized communities, from accessing education, employment, and other resources. This struck a chord with me, as I have seen firsthand how the lack of access to opportunities tends to hinder the potential of talented and ambitious young individuals.

The conversation further touched on the role of technology in empowering the youth. Some of the innovators present shared insightful stories about their efforts in leveraging technology to enhance equality and diversity in their community. Sampson Dzivor of Azubi Tech Inclusion, a beneficiary of the YAI programme, described his innovative digital technology solution for business growth, aimed at bridging existing inequality gaps, and providing a platform for persons with disability to run competitive businesses. This platform leverages Artificial Intelligence technologies including ChatGPT 4.0. and Gemini. Exciting capabilities such as language translation are being harnessed to empower individuals with disability, enabling them to transition from requiring   assisted support, to being able to trade independently, without needing third-party assistance.

Throughout the interactions, Ms. Ahunna emphasized the value of intergenerational dialogue and collaboration, encouraging us to seek out mentors and learn from their experiences, while also recognizing the importance of our own unique perspectives and contributions. This reminded me that as a young person, I need to work across generations and backgrounds, to contribute to creating a more just and equitable world.

Ms. Ahunna’ s words of wisdom combined with the collective energy of the young people in the room reminded me that we have the power to shape our own futures and create positive change in our communities and the world at large. I left the conversation feeling inspired and motivated to continue advocating for youth empowerment and inclusive development. 

As young people, we will continue to look up to UNDP as the partner to support our journey of youth-driven innovations, aiming to create meaningful change towards the broader goal of sustainable development.