Every year for August 12, di world dey celebrate International Youth Day – day wey dem dedicate to di energy, creativity, and di big dreams wey young pipo get everywhere. For Africa, dis day get even bigger meaning.

More than 60% of Africa population na pipo e wey dey under 25 years. Dis one mean say Africa get di biggest youth population for di whole world. Dis "youth wave" no be something wey go happen later; e dey happen now. How Africa go invest for di young people go determine whether di future go bring better life or na missed chance.

Generation Z – di people wey dem born between mid-1990s and early 2010s – no be like di ones wey don come before dem. Dem na di first generation wey grow inside digital technology. Dem sabi use smartphone, social media, and online learning platform well well. Dis one dey give dem tools to connect, create, and compete for di global stage.

But di challenges wey dem dey face no small. Job no dey quick quick, inequality dey everywhere, and di economic system no dey always make space for dem.

Di African Development Bank talk say every year, about 10 to 12 million young pipo dey enter di labour market, but na only about 3 million formal jobs dey available. Dis mismatch no be just number; e be one of di biggest wahala wey di continent dey face. If dem no solve am, e fit cause frustration and wahala. But if dem face am well, e fit bring one of di biggest economic growth wey di world don ever see.

Gen Z don already dey show say dem sabi stand on their own. For different parts of Africa, dem dey create fintech solutions for Nigeria, start ethical fashion brands for Kenya, and dey push agritech ideas for Ghana. For many of dem, social media no be just for enjoyment; e be shop, marketing tool, and place to build network. Di rise of "side hustle" culture dey show both di need and di creativity of di youth.

But talent alone no fit change economy. For Africa to use di advantage wey dem get from di youth population, three things dey important.

1. Teach di youth skills wey market need Even though more Africans dey graduate from school pass before, di education no dey match wetin di industries need. Technical training, problem-solving, and digital skills dey important but no dey everywhere. Government and private sector suppose join hand to put coding, design thinking, and entrepreneurship for di school system. Di few coding schools and innovation hubs wey dey now na good start, but dem need to reach di rural areas too.

2. Make capital easy to get Many young entrepreneurs no fit meet di requirements wey banks dey ask for like collateral or credit history. Mobile microloans, venture capital for youth, and crowdfunding platforms fit help bridge di gap. Di fintech revolution don show say inclusion dey possible, but di next step na to direct financial innovation to businesses wey go create sustainable jobs.

3. Build better environment for business To encourage entrepreneurship no go work if infrastructure no dey or di policies no dey help. Light no stable, internet dey cost, and di process to register business dey too long. Government suppose see young people as partners for economic decision-making. Dis fit mean say dem go put youth for policy meetings, give contracts to youth-led businesses, and invest for areas wey Africa fit compete globally.

International Youth Day na time to shout about dis priorities. Di message dey clear: when young people get opportunity, society dey benefit. For Africa, dis no be just about opportunity; na about survival for di competitive global economy. Opportunity without action dey waste potential, and action without opportunity dey cause frustration.

Some people dey talk say "youth empowerment" no be new thing and e don fail before. But wetin make today different na di global, connected world wey Gen Z dey live inside. Dem fit learn new skill for YouTube, sell product internationally from their house, or work with people from different countries through video call. If African economies fit align policy and investment with dis reality, growth go follow.

If dem no do am, di continent fit lose di talent of di youth, not just through migration, but through "digital brain drain" where skilled youth dey work remotely for foreign companies and no dey contribute much to local economy.

International Youth Day suppose be more than celebration. E suppose be time for government to reform, for businesses to open door, and for communities to trust di youth with leadership now, not for future.

By 2025, African youth no just dey ask for di right to learn, dem dey ask for di right to earn, innovate, and shape their society. Dis no be charity – e make economic sense. Di next phase of Africa development go depend on Gen Z, whether policymakers ready or not. Di choice dey clear: invest now and enjoy di benefits of a strong economy, or waste dis chance and face di cost of lost potential.

History don show say when young people get di tools, trust, and opportunity to lead, dem fit change nations. For dis International Youth Day, di big question be whether Africa and di world go give dem di chance.

Di author, Shuaib Mahomed, na South African Economist wey dey research financial markets, volatility, and geopolitical risk.

Disclaimer: Di views wey di author express no mean say na di same opinion or policy wey TRT Afrika dey follow.