ADDIS ABABA, July 7 (Xinhua) -- African officials on Monday called for bold actions to address Africa's employment challenges through industrialization and innovation.
The Third African Job Creation Forum, jointly organized by the African Union (AU), the Ethiopian government, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, kicked off Monday in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.
Running through Wednesday, the forum is themed "Advancing Job Creation and Economic Resilience through Regional Integration, Digital and Financial Inclusion along Agricultural Value Chains in the AfCFTA Market."
"Advancing job creation and economic resilience through integration remains a development imperative. Africa contributes less than 3 percent to the global value chains, and the time for incremental action has passed. We must act at scale," said AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf.
Noting that the agricultural sector remains Africa's largest employer, supporting over 60 percent of the continent's livelihoods, he called on Africa's private sector, both large and small businesses, to embrace the AfCFTA and benefit from the continental trading opportunities presented by its effective implementation.
He also urged efforts to exploit emerging models of work through youth-driven innovations and technologies in addressing potential challenges when transitioning into digital trade. The AUC chief underscored the need to ensure access to affordable capital for Africa's young entrepreneurs and boost their contribution to value creation.
Experts and policymakers gathered at the three-day continental job creation forum to discuss regional integration, the free movement of people, and the full operationalization of the AU's financial institutions to unlock decent and sustainable jobs for African youth.
Stressing the untapped potential of Africa's burgeoning youth, Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh called for endeavors to equip the continent's youth with the necessary skills and opportunities, thereby harnessing their potential for growth and change.
"We need to go beyond vision, turn plans into action, and actions into lasting impact for skills development, youth empowerment, and shared prosperity across Africa," he added. ■
