How Companies Can Support The Power Of Youth In Africa

(This article originally appeared in Forbes , as part of the Forbes Business Council, which you can also access here).

Africa has the second-largest population by continent and the largest percentage of young people. When I first moved to Africa in the late nineties, the continent had around 800 million people. Today, it has close to 1.5 billion people, more than doubling in the last three decades.

According to the Wilson Center, Africa’s median age is 19; however, underdevelopment remains an issue, and the quality of life of Africans materially lags behind the rest of the world. In Africa’s Union Agenda 2063, youth empowerment is a major priority for transforming Africa into a people-driven, global powerhouse. But how do we get there? And how can companies help?

One of the keys to taking Africa from a developing continent to a hub of socioeconomic growth is empowering the younger generation with tools to learn, grow and innovate. Education enabling them to compete in the global workplace is the solution.

My company has provided financial contributions and data to global initiatives with the goal of connecting every school to the Internet, so I’ve seen firsthand how companies can help with providing access to technology, both for facilitating education and learning, and also in helping aspiring entrepreneurs find solutions for the challenges of tomorrow. Internet connectivity, including mobile phones and new digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), stands to help draw people into the formal economy while making modern education more accessible.

The Power Of Connectivity

Youth in Africa can only harness their full potential if they are given the same tools, education and equal access to technology as their global counterparts. In many developed countries, classrooms are equipped with computers, smart boards and tablets, and these same standards should be normalized in Africa, in both urban and rural environments.

Providing students with internet access can increase their efficiency and foster curiosity, which, over the longer term, can transform into a stronger workforce and economy. According to "The Mobile Economy Sub-Saharan Africa" 2023 GSMA report, in 2022, 1.4 million jobs were directly supported by the mobile ecosystem and 2.2 million jobs indirectly. Imagine what this data could look like if students had proper access to technology at the start of their education.

To make a genuine impact on communities, businesses need to think about their strengths and how their expertise can be best utilized. Any company can donate funds to community organizations, but in my opinion, the greatest value they can add is leveraging the skills of their workforce. In connectivity, this means looking locally to pinpoint the most significant needs and asking what the infrastructure barriers are here. Start small and then scale out the solutions.

The Technology Of Tomorrow

Propelling the African youth includes companies investing consistently in their junior talent. As reported by the United Nations, approximately 70% of people in Sub-Saharan Africa are under the age of 30. Having the right tools to support young employees is necessary for economic growth.

I recommend companies invest in proper information and communication technologies (ICT) facilities, in addition to training and education programs that encourage employees to build their digital skillsets, with a focus on emerging AI tools.

As the young population in Africa booms, so does the rise of AI worldwide. We currently stand at a unique moment when the AI revolution could catapult the younger generations of Africa into a more competitive, global position. As more students, young engineers, business owners and investors embrace AI, more innovative solutions to local challenges are possible.

AI is already being utilized on the African continent, for example, to predict weather patterns and better prepare for changing pressures on the power supply. Interestingly, I think AI solutions will play a large part in ensuring infrastructure and connectivity can continue powering AI itself.

Empowering Through Education

The way to scale this cycle is by empowering young people through education, whether in school or their early careers, so they can continue developing AI use cases over the longer term.

The key to setting up the next generation for success is thinking about long-term opportunities and solutions. Again, donating money and resources will always be beneficial to schools and training programs, but in many capacities, it is finite.

To properly invest in our young people in any field, we need to think about ways we can help them become independent. This is why scholarship programs are so important. Some of the brightest children can flourish when given educational opportunities but will stumble if the socioeconomic status of their family prevents them from going the extra mile in higher education and beyond. For example, at my company, we have a scholarship fund for our frontline workers in which we take care of the tuition, travel and living expenses for any of their children who are accepted into top national and international universities.

Tackling The Challenges

Africa has more challenges to build and operate infrastructure, including security, logistics, funding and more. This makes the use of AI critical in helping build better infrastructure in a more economically efficient way. The need to use AI in Africa may become more acute than in the developed world.

Although Africa has and can continue to benefit tremendously from a generation of emerging AI experts, challenges remain in the absence of widespread access to education, internet connectivity and digital infrastructure. There are also ethical challenges, including concerns over AI eventually replacing the need for human employees and potentially posing a risk to data privacy. However, where Africa currently stands, I think the social and economic benefits of AI greatly outweigh these outlined threats.

The future of Africa is vibrant, and inspiring tomorrow’s leaders to capitalize on the power of technology and connectivity is invaluable in developing a global workforce. Through telecommunications and education, the youth in Africa have the opportunity to secure themselves a place on the world stage.