By: Ollus Ndomu
With the youth accounting for over 60% of Africa’s population, the continent has overwhelming potential for development and economic growth. In the context of population dynamism, Africa’s burgeoning young population reflects member countries’ potential for increased production and active participation in various economic and developmental activities. Regardless, this young population remains merely a recipient of human development infrastructure, including higher education while development reports continue to criticize Africa as a whole for its unsustainable demographic growth. African youth population is steadily growing with a projection that it will constitute 42% of global youth by 2030. This is a great cause for concern on the part of policymakers as population growth means more spending on food security and healthcare in the face of a youth Unemployment approaching crisis proportions.
With the whole wide world recovering from the sweeping ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Africa has been working to equip the youth for an increasingly evolving local and international labour markets. Now more than ever, tertiary education is the front and centre of everyone’s personal development and the continent at large. But there comes a million dollar question: Is tertiary education in Africa alive to the realities of youth unemployment growing rapidly in different countries around the continent? Bakary Manka, a Debt Collector at an international health company in the Gambia, West Africa, explains the gap between his country’s tertiary education and the alarming levels of youth unemployment:
“…I think that’s where the major problem is in the Gambia here. It’s in the education sector, which has not adequately addressed these problems [youth unemployment]. School prepares us to be an employee. School does not entrepreneurship programs whereby students will get this mindset of: when I’m done with done college, when I get my degree, I will create my own business and start doing things on my own. Most of us who go to school are always taught how to prepare a CV…we are taught how to apply for jobs.”
The Gambian situation as detailed by Mr. Manka is no unique as it is almost widespread around the world’s second largest continent. Even when it’s quite evident that governments cannot provide employment for every graduate and citizen, leaders have often than not failed to provide political will and direction towards a skills-based economy where everyone can thrive based on their skillset. This partly contributes to the African desperate journeys and brain-drain phenomena, which is more prevalent in West Africa.
“Though the COVID has worsened the situation….there’s been an alarming rate of unemployment [all along] in the Gambia here. The rate of youth unemployment according to latest statistics is at 51% [and] the government has not put anything in place to address the situation,” Manka who holds a Masters degree in Finance and Accounting told the African International Magazine in an exclusive online interview.
“Because if you look at statistics, before even the Corona [COVID-19 outbreak], there had been lots of irregular migrations of Gambians going to Europe in search of greener pasture. So you can see that the high rate of youth unemployment has been there for a long time. They [Gambian youth illegally] use Libya or Morocco in order to go to Italy or Spain and most of them die in the Mediterranean Sea. Almost every year, Germany and other European countries deport these youths back home here…”
The problem of irregular labour migration from Africa into Europe is complex and it remains thematic in demographic research. Studies have steadily shown that the search for employment opportunities is the most common reason for illegal African migration. Except this, lack of better education and globalization contribute to these dangerous migrations.
For Lisa Kaseba, a prominent young chef working at one of Zambia’s finest hotels, Latitude 15, her views on Zambian education in general are quite radical and she is opposed to schools making learners take many subjects that rarely align with their interests:
“…in Zambia, we need to change the curriculum; so to say. What our friends do [in Italy], they start training their children at the age of 10.Teachers observe the child; they observe what the child is good at and they learn accordingly. Let’s say the child is good at things related to construction; he/she will start learning related subjects until university level. I think this is what we’re lacking in Zambia. Zambian learners take a lot of unnecessary subjects that don’t even relate to their interests. This drains people.”
Ms Kaseba, a Zambia-Italy trained professional chef was speaking to this publication on the subject of entrepreneurship; something she does as her side hustle. She acknowledges the growing unemployment rate in her country, which she partly blames on an education that is notable for teaching theories rather than skills critical to enabling self-employment. The soft-spoken young chef also talked about basic skills monetization as something important in the face of formal employment scarcity.
“If you’re good at something, even if you haven’t gone to school for it but you know that it can help you have money.. For example there are people talented at plaiting hair and barbing in general; these are skills which one can improve and make money at the end of the day. I’m speaking so because I also started baking way before I went to college and I have continued doing this for a side hustle…..This is because entrepreneurship is self-employment and it you’re always your own boss.”
Khalid Abdelmaaruf Eltayeb Mohammed from Sudan hold similar views as preceding interviewees. The Telecom Engineer currently volunteering as an assistant teacher says, “Our vocational education is weak and poor….heavy investment should be dedicated to building classes and workshops to equip learners with necessary skills. Mohammed adds that Sudan’s education needs restructuring to meet modern-day demands. Sudan is among several other African countries grappling with a plethora of socio-economic problems due to unstable politics.
A Cameroonian student of Translation, Sokoudjou Linda, added to the conversation of education and employment in Cameroon; “I can say more than 60% of graduates are unemployed.” Linda pointed out the Cameroonian education offers market relevant knowledge and skills but jobs remain because due to poor choices with regards to study programs:
“Cameroonian education, depending on the training you choose and the need of the market, gives relevant skills for survival even without formal employment……. For example, in Cameroon we have many students choosing philosophy; but the country does not really need many specialists in that domain.”
The consensus on modern African education clearly leans towards technical skills and entrepreneurship. Manka ably explained what the Gambia ought to do to address youth unemployment and stimulate socio-economic development. His views would still apply almost everywhere in Africa.
“There is need to promote entrepreneurship skills through putting few administrative laws and introduce tax breaks for small businesses. Let’s say you’re small business owner and you won’t pay tax for five years,” Manka added.
Linda holds a similar view and acknowledged the fact that many Cameroonian youths would want to venture in entrepreneurship and business but the environment is not favourable and access to finance still remains low among young people:
“Government should try to create favourable conditions for youths to develop business in their country and even receive some assistance.”
Given these realities around education and employment in Africa, it is important for governments and scholars around the continent to rethink education and have it tailored according to problems facing us. As Manka appealed, “Our education should teach more on African realities…We have a lot problems here. We need to learn how to solve our problems.” Africa needs an education that will radically provoke innovation and creativity among its youth because times have significantly changed and the ground beneath our feet has shifted.
