Adesina Calls for Youth Investment at Lagos Colloquium

Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, the former President of the African Development Bank, delivered a keynote address titled “Africa Next: Building the Demographic Asset Class” at the inaugural Seyi Tinubu Colloquium in Lagos. He urged African governments to view the growing youth population as an asset rather than a burden, advocating for investments in education, healthcare, skills, technology, and entrepreneurship to drive economic transformation.

Adesina emphasized that Africa's demographic advantage would remain unrealized without equipping young people with the necessary capabilities and resources. He argued that the true value of a country's human resources lies in effective education and skill development.

Adesina highlighted the importance of quality education as a foundation for economic development and called for African youths to embrace artificial intelligence and digital technologies. He pointed out that unemployment should not be seen as a lack of ambition among young people but rather as a result of inadequate education and limited opportunities.