A fellow of the Office of the Youth Envoy of the African Union Commission, Sabina Ngwanchang Nforba, has advised the youth of Africa to become entrepreneurs and fully exploit the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“The youth should actively and meaningfully participate in politics, become entrepreneurs, and fully exploit the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement, become advocates for good governance, and build the spirit of volunteerism and community,” she stated.
She disclosed this at the opening ceremony on the two days summit on democracy and political transitions in Africa, under the theme, “Harnessing Youth Voices for Change”, organised by the West African Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP).
According to her, it was only through these actions that youth participation could be effective.
To address the challenges of poor governance, she divulged that young people must be meaningfully involved in the implementation and tracking of the Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union Agenda 2063, by being front-line actors.
“We should therefore champion good governance, starting from local communities to regional communities and the continent at large,” she added.
The Head of Mediation and Coordination of Regional Political Affairs, Directorate of Political Affairs, ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Onyinye Onwuka, in her speech, also noted that despite the formal adhesion of West Africa to the principles of democracy, good governance and human rights, many countries continue to face challenges pertaining to these principles.
This, she said is evidence with the return of military coup d’état, unconstitutional transitions and informed cases tempering with the constitution of member states.
“These practices violates the ECOWAS 2001 supplementary protocol on democracy and good governance which stipulates that every assention to power must be through free, fair and credible and transparent elections to create a fertile ground for potential stability in the region” She added.
To her, issues related to bad governance, poor leadership, corruption, exclusion has contributed to compounding the situation and exacerbating conditions of people especially the young people who represent more or less 60% of the population in the region. She concluded by affirming that the essence of this summit and their presence here affirms their collective commitment to strengthen the pillars of a more inclusive and prosperous Africa.
