Digital & Agriculture Are New Drivers of Employment in Africa: ECOWAS Parliamentarians
Digital & Agriculture Are New Drivers of Employment in Africa: ECOWAS Parliamentarians
Since Tuesday, the Togolese capital has hosted a strategic meeting of the ECOWAS Parliament. At the heart of the debates was the question of youth employment in a region where the population faces persistent unemployment.
“In the sub-region, the unemployment rate is around 30%, while young people represent nearly 60% of the population,” Agbozo Koffi Séna, vice-dean of the General Inspectorate of Education of Togo, explained to Sputnik Africa.
He attributed the situation partly to poor academic guidance and a lack of information on promising sectors. Among the strategic fields with potential, he highlighted agriculture and digital technology.
For his part, Innocent Kagbara, Member of the ECOWAS Parliament, emphasized the need to rethink educational systems inherited from the colonial period, which were designed primarily to train civil servants for administrative roles.
“If we continue with current programs, we simply risk creating unemployment,” he warned.
According to Kagbara, Africa’s economic sovereignty requires a profound reform of its educational systems, as well as better coordination between schools, universities, and industry.
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