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Image: UNDP Sub-Regional Hub for West and Central Africa
Dakar, 9 December 2021 -- More than 1,000 young people from across the Sahel participated in the first edition of the YouthConnekt Sahel Forum under the theme “Connecting Sahelian Youth for Peace and Prosperity”.
Participants at the Forum ranged from youth policy influencers, activists and students to political leaders, youth innovators and entrepreneurs. The youth were drawn from the 10 countries forming the UN Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS), namely Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal.
The official opening ceremony was attended by several dignitaries, including Ms. Néné Fatoumata Tall, Minister of Youth, Senegal; Mr. Routouang Mohamed Ndonga Christian, Minister of Youth, Chad; Mr. Siaka Coulibaly, UN Resident Coordinator, Senegal; Mr. Mar Dieye, UN Special Coordinator for Development in the Sahel; Mr. Njoya Tikum, Manager, UNDP Sub-Regional Hub for West and Central Africa; Ms. Oulie Keita, Executive Director, YouthConnekt Africa Hub; Ms. Chido Cleopatra Mpemba, African Union Youth Envoy; and Ms. Nadi Albino, Senior Adviser, Partnerships and Resources Mobilization, Generation Unlimited (GenU).
The three-day event featured a rich agenda of plenary and parallel panel discussions, pitching by the 10 finalists of the Sahel Innovate Challenge, a concert at the African Renaissance Monument, exhibition stands and multiple networking opportunities.
In her remarks, Ms. Néné Fatoumata Tall, Minister of Youth, expressed her gratitude to all youth participants, congratulated the winners of the Sahel Innovate Challenge, and acknowledged the Forum recommendations. “The Sahel is full of possibilities, both tapped and untapped,” she stated. “However, the success of our public policies requires them to be implemented in a safe and secure environment. The YouthConnekt Sahel Forum can be a key milestone for Sahelian youth to live together in peace, cohesion, solidarity and security in our common sub-regional space.”
The discussions converged around the need to place youth at the centre of all political and socio-economic development initiatives in the Sahel. The Forum declaration, presented by Habib Dakouo Mani, President of National Youth Council of Mali, underscored the fact that youth are not only defined by their age, but are also men and women, people with disabilities, leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs with a lot to offer. They called upon leaders across all spheres to stop acting for them without them — “don’t do anything for us without us” — was the key takeaway.
Njoya Tikum, Manager of the UNDP Sub-Regional Hub for West and Central Africa, shared how “Our intention is to create an ecosystem of entrepreneurs, community leaders and changemakers that will become the face of the Sahel we want. UNDP will accompany the youth to make sure they have the right tools, for instance through UNDP’s Accelerator Labs and the national YouthConnekt chapters, both of which are present in all 10 countries in the Sahel.”
Forum participants deliberated on a wide range of thematic issues affecting Sahelian youth, including youth as leaders of economic transformation in the Sahel; embracing opportunities for youth living in borderland communities; shaping the digital future of the Sahel; empowering young girls for accelerated and inclusive recovery; engaging youth in agribusiness value chains; accelerating green innovations and actions towards a greener Sahel; and a high-level intergenerational dialogue.
In her remarks, Oulie Keita, Executive Director, YouthConnekt Africa Hub, acknowledged that “Youth are our most incredible resource; we must consider them, value them and use them to promote peace and stability and to contribute to the socio-economic transformation of our countries. Going forward, the Forum recommendations will inform the YouthConnekt Sahel action plan and allow youth and partners in the Sahel to collectively achieve a true partnership, advance regional integration and connect youth to opportunities for socio-economic transformation.”
The Forum deliberations culminated in a call to action to better position young people in the Sahel in policy, politics, governance, socio-economic development, crisis prevention and climate security. Also highlighted was the need to reinforce deliberate actions to place youth at the centre of policymaking, development and democratic prospects in all Sahel countries and to provide space for youth to help co-create the leadership and development prospects, aspirations and actions aligned to building the “Sahel we want”.
2021 Sahel Innovate Challenge
The closing ceremony featured the announcement of the winners of the Sahel Innovate Challenge, a campaign that was launched to select the best innovative solutions created by young Sahelians with the aim of driving positive and sustainable change in their communities. More than 300 innovators from across the Sahel applied for the chance to win an all-expenses paid trip to the Forum and an opportunity to compete for a financial prize to invest in their innovative solution.
30 shortlisted winners were sponsored to attend the Forum and from this group, 10 innovators, each representing one of the 10 Sahel countries, pitched their solutions to a panel of four expert judges. The top five innovators were awarded prizes ranging from US$20,000 for first place to $3,000 for fifth place. The other five innovators received $1,000 each.
First place winner Ferdinand Adimefe, from Lagos, Nigeria, is the Founder and CEO of Magic Carpet Studios, an award-winning innovation storytelling company focused on putting Africa stories on the map of global entertainment. “To all the young people in this room, the Sahel needs you,” he enthused to participants. “We all need to come together to heal this region. The radical project that won me this prize aims to convert the Sahel into a digital economy for a digital future. Our animations at Magic Carpet Studios show our African identities through stories about the empires and emperors of Africa and about the kings and kingdoms of the past. It’s time to reintroduce ourselves again through our authentic stories and identities.”
The YouthConnekt Sahel Forum 2021 was organized by YouthConnekt Africa and UNDP in close collaboration with UNISS, the Government of Senegal and Generation Unlimited (GenU). The Forum also partnered with several UN agencies — UNFPA, FAO, UNICEF, UNCDF, UNV, UNAIDS and IOM — offering an opportunity for the involved agencies to connect young people to various opportunities and platforms. In addition, nine private sector companies provided both technical and financial support.
The second YouthConnekt Sahel Forum will be hosted by Chad in 2022.
About YouthConnekt Africa
YouthConnekt Africa (YCA) is an African home-grown solution positioned to provide relevant solutions for the global South and support relevant South-South initiatives that empower youth. The YCA Hub operates as a pan-African platform with the vision of connecting African youth for socio-economic transformation.
Learn more at www.youthconnektafrica.org
About UNDP
UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations build integrated, lasting solutions for people and the planet.
Learn more at www.africa.undp.org
For more information, contact:
Cheikh Mbacké SENE, Technical Communication Advisor to the Minister of Youth & Head of the Communication Unit of the Ministry
Fabrice Macumbi, Communications Associate, YouthConnekt Africa Hub
fabrice.macumbi@youthconnektafrica.org
Ugochukwu Kingsley Ahuchaogu, Communications Specialist, UNDP Sub-Regional Hub for West and Central Africa
Hamadou Amadou Ba, Communications Officer, UNDP Sub-Regional Hub for West and Central Africa
