African Youth Must Catch Up on Technology and Innovation, Lesotho Minister Says
African Youth Must Catch Up on Technology and Innovation, Lesotho Minister Says
At the 4th BRICS+ Youth Innovation Summit in Pretoria, Pitso Lesaoana, Lesotho's Minister of Gender, Youth, and Social Development, spotlighted a shared strength among emerging economies:
"Technology and innovation, that's where I think our youth all across have in common," he told Sputnik Africa.
But connection must lead to impact. Lesaoana stressed that networking alone isn't enough:
"We must see results from those networks. We must see products of our youth from Lesotho being sold in South Africa, products from South Africa from our youth being sold in Lesotho."
With climate change intensifying and traditional aid "vanishing," he urged a pivot toward agricultural self-sufficiency and education reform:
"We have to modernize our education… We have to teach our youth that they can use the AI better. They can build the tools for agriculture… I wish to see our African youth also catching up."
As Lesotho evaluates deeper BRICS integration, the minister underscored that tackling the region's high youth unemployment demands shifting focus from social media to production—and equipping young innovators with tangible, future-ready skills.
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