Amb. Yorlay Raps Foreign Dignitaries in Spain -Lays Out How to Surmount Barriers Facing African Youth

MONROVIA – Development experts and theorists are fond of statistics, and they say it is to inform measured policy decision making, and good for problem solving. Others cite stats to prove how bookish they are. Liberian ambassador Teeko Tozay Yorlay, speaking to a group of foreign dignitaries including mostly youth, development partners and policymakers in Seville, Spain, posited that the much-vouched statistics indicating African youth constitute 70 of population on the continent is not just a number to be tossed around at conference; “it is our greatest asset” awaiting deliberate actions to unchain them from barriers they face. The Analyst reports.

Liberia’s Ambassador to France and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Dr. Teeko Tozay Yorlay, has been making a powerful case for Africa’s youthful population, telling an international audience of youth leaders, policymakers and development partners that the stats unveiling the 70 percent of Africa’ continent population is young people “isn’t just a number we toss around at conferences and for research purposes. It’s our greatest asset, if we choose to act on it in meaningful ways.”

Speaking yesterday in Seville, Spain, as honorary guest speaker at the United Nations’ Fourth Financing for Development (FFD4) Side Event on the Theme, “Youth-Driven Capital: Unlocking Innovative Financing for Africa’s Green and Digital Future”, Dr. Yorlay asserted that in order to leverage and capitalize that number, “we must break down the barriers that keep our youth from thriving: the lack of access to finance, limited job opportunities, digital gaps, and the ever-growing threat of climate change compounded by substance abuse.”

According to him, in 2023, 53 million youth in sub-Saharan Africa were not in employment, education or training (NEET), meaning that more than one in 5 youth (21.9 per cent) in the region “were in NEET status”.

According to International Labor Organization’s 2024 report on Global Employment Trends for Youth, “the lack of productive and decent jobs remains the largest labor market challenge for young people in Sub-Saharan Africa,” he said, adding: “Young females have been identified as facing major additional stumbling blocks when seeking to enter the labor market.”

 With 8.9 million of them living in close proximity to conflicts, the young people in sub-Saharan Africa have been significantly impacted by political instability and conflict, the Liberian envoy said.  “Amid these challenges, agriculture has been identified as the primary source of employment for young workers in sub-Saharan Africa and accounts for 60 per cent in 2021.”

He noted that youth potential isn’t just about the future; it’s about power that exists right now, and that nations and actors needed to think about policy potential, about investment potential, and  innovation potential.

Smart policies to remedy challenges

Dr. Yorley told the international audience that there was imperative to hold conversations that go beyond good intentions, adding, “We need real action, grounded in smart policies that address the challenges facing the young people of the world poorest continent that has been left behind for years and remains behind even today as phraseology “leave no one behind” is being globally trumpeted and parroted”.

According to him, traditional financing models have fallen short of meeting Africa’s development needs, leaving billions in annual climate financing gaps and limited access to capital for startup.

“Investments in sustainable agriculture, critical minerals, and renewable energy can position youth as leaders in Africa’s green and digital future,” he said. “Africa can leverage the digital revolution to empower its youth to create solutions like mobile apps for financial inclusion and inclusive communication, which will enhance access to education, healthcare, and markets.”

The diplomat called for empowering youth with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and digital skills which he noted are essential to achieving digital transformation in Africa.

He acknowledged that the African Union’s call for a Decade of Accelerated Action (2025-2035) is a genuine realization that the African Continent, especially Sub-saharan Africa, but it needs to accelerate youth skills development which will end learning poverty and foster innovation.

Yorley expressed full support the Youth Financing Framework and the Sevilla Accord on Youth Financing for Development. These are not just documents, they are tools that can change lives. They can help us move money, training, and resources into the hands of young people who are ready to build, from tech entrepreneurs in the cities to climate champions in the villages.

He called on African Union and its partners to not let these efforts become one-time projects, stressing that they are made lasting policies.

“Let’s build systems, not just programs,” he said.

Yorley further noted: “While I appreciate the International Labor Organization (ILO) and African Union (AU) in developing a joint youth employment strategy for Africa, I use this opportunity to call on them to evolve and operationalize the necessary tactics that ensure that “economic solutions for economic problems are timeously found for the young people of our beloved Africa.”

“Our continent and its leaders should not only verbalize but remain committed to ensuring that the young people are brought in and they maintain their places in the driver’s seat of policymaking and implementation, while working tirelessly to prioritize the decisive creation of decent jobs and increasing youth employment and empowerment,” he emphasized.

Insightful hints/recommendations

The Liberian ambassador made a number of recommendations, calling for investing in training that teaches young people how to innovate, whether it’s in business, tech, or climate solutions and for leaders to change rules and laws so that it is easier for youth, especially young women and those in rural areas, to get loans and start ventures.

He called implore partners to build partnerships between governments and businesses that bring not just money, but also mentorship and new ideas, and that “we must create decentralized systems that respect and respond to local needs and opportunities.”

Speaking directly to African young people in the audience, Ambassador Yorley said: “You are not waiting to become leaders, you already are. Whether you’re building an app, starting a community garden, launching a climate campaign, or leading a protest, you are already shaping the future.”

He said the young people don’t need pity, they need systems that help them grow.

“You must demand better from us, your leaders, but also hold yourselves to high standards.

Push for funding, but also for fair frameworks not compromising integrity, which should be your chief guiding principle,” he said further. “Raise your voice and build platforms that lift others, too.”