Half of Africa’s population is under the age of 20. Many young people are already playing a huge role in shaping the future of the continent’s land, policy and economy.
One thing is clear – to support a fair and equitable transition to a greener economy, Africa must create green jobs to bring the best out of this new generation. But how?
Last month, hundreds of experts, policymakers and landscape practitioners gathered at the ICRAF campus in Nairobi, Kenya, for GLF Africa 2025, to find answers.
We asked several experts and land practitioners for their thoughts.
“We still have a chance to save what we have. Those of us who want to shift into the green economy in a just and fair way just means that the actual natural capital – you and I and the environment around us – play our part in making sure that the environment is conserved even as we go about what we call development.”
“Seventy-two percent of Africans live in rural areas. More rural environment just means we have more natural capital to play with, meaning we have those assets that we can leverage, whether it’s through regenerative agriculture, our water systems or our forests.”
“Considering most of our capital in Africa is natural capital, I think our youth need to be more invested in agri-businesses and creating value chains out of the resources we have. I believe there should be investment in agribusiness, agri-tech and AI to drive transformation in Africa.”
“I am originally from Senegal, and a famous Senegalese writer once said: ‘Africa is a beggar sitting in a gold mine.’ This means Africa has all the resources. Right now, we are talking about critical minerals. Most of the critical minerals in the world are in Africa.
So, how come Africa is still categorized as a poor continent? How come Africa is still relying on development aid and not relying on the natural resources that we are blessed with?
We need to make sure that these critical minerals – which are a hot topic right now – can fit the communities and can benefit countries and that this is done very transparently, equitably and fairly
Let’s move away from the colonial capitalist mindset of extractivism and make sure resources are used sustainably and they can help create jobs that are really green.”
Solange Bandiaky-Badji, coordinator and president, Rights and Resources Initiative, Senegal/U.S.
“Our wealth, our jobs, our future must be directly connected to the land. I advise young people to wake up and take advantage of the land they have, take care of it and extract advantages like jobs and means of livelihood from the land.
The land is rich, and it can provide life to African youth.”
Freddy Bisetsa, founder and executive director, Women Concern, and coordinator, GLFx Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
“If we can look at how we create opportunities through restoration, especially for young people and aligning development and other goals, we can help young people develop products that create more opportunities and employment and also help solve some of the world’s biggest challenges – ranging from food to production to technology.
I think there are green jobs in restoration. We just need to approach it with different eyes.
When we restore our landscapes, we bring back native trees and plants, water, animals and clean air. These healthy places attract visitors and support green jobs along the way. Young people become eco-guides, farmers grow food for lodges and visiting communities, women make crafts and families host guests in homestays and for community cultural experiences.
From planting a seed of hope to welcoming a visitor, restoration builds a whole chain of opportunity.”
Gerald Nkusi, founder, Home of Kigezi, and GLFx Virunga, Uganda
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