Former President John Dramani Mahama has cautioned that Africa’s rapidly growing youth population could become a ticking time bomb if governments fail to create enough jobs to absorb them.
Speaking at the private-public business dialogue of the ongoing 9th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IX) on Wednesday, Mahama emphasized that young people must be placed at the centre of policy, investment, and innovation.
“The youth form 60% of Africa’s population between the ages of 16 and 35. That’s not a demographic you can ignore. And the world is changing into a knowledge economy,” he said.
Shifting Interests of Africa’s Youth
Mahama noted that the continent’s youth are increasingly turning away from traditional paths in agriculture and industry, preferring opportunities in new and dynamic sectors.
“The youth are more interested in the creatives, renewable energy, fintech, and agri-tech, rather than just traditional farming or manufacturing,” he explained. “It is important to invest in these areas so we can attract and retain their talent.”
Innovation Driving Transformation
Highlighting Africa’s fast-growing startup ecosystem, Mahama revealed that in 2024, African startups attracted $4.2 billion in investment, with about 45% going into fintech—a sector largely driven by tech-savvy youth.
He cited Ghana as an example, noting that in 2015, the services sector overtook agriculture and manufacturing to become the largest part of the economy. He described how youth-led fintech and agri-tech companies are solving long-standing challenges in agriculture by improving access to credit, distributing inputs efficiently, and using mobile technology to track farmer productivity.
“Farmers can now build credit scores through these platforms, allowing banks and other institutions to assess who is creditworthy. It has completely changed the face of agriculture in Ghana,” Mahama said.
Creative Sector Outpacing Traditional Jobs
Mahama stressed that creative industries and youth startups are generating jobs at a faster rate than traditional sectors.
“Agriculture or manufacturing might create one job, but the creative sector and digital startups can add four jobs in the same space,” he noted. “That’s where the future of employment lies.”
A Call for Urgent Action
He warned that relying solely on manufacturing and agriculture would not be enough to meet Africa’s employment needs, with the continent requiring 12 to 15 million new jobs annually.
“If governments fail to expand opportunities in the creative and digital economy, the youth bulge could become a gunpowder keg,” Mahama cautioned. “Africa’s young population is an advantage, but only if we act quickly to absorb them into productive sectors.”
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