Leveraging Critical Green Minerals for Youth Employment through Regional Value Chains
14 January 2026
How can Africa turn its vast critical green mineral wealth into real, scalable jobs for young people?
This webinar brought together over 120 leaders from government, private sector, academia, and development institutions to tackle exactly that question.
Featured voices
Karima Bounemra Ben Soltane – On bridging the gap between evidence and implementation
Cosmas Milton Obote Ochieng – On the “African paradox” in the green transition
Marit Kitaw – On aligning policies, skills, and private sector partnerships
Tabi Tabi – On infrastructure and investment needs
Chema Triki – On designing youth employment into industrial strategies
Jean Marie Kanda – On downstream job creation opportunities
AI and Jobs in Africa: Opportunity or Disruption?
26 February 2026
The session unpacked the anticipated impact of AI on Africa’s future job creation. By bringing together different perspectives, understanding Africa’s readiness for AI, considering AI’s potential job creation and employment structure impacts and exploring what Africa is doing to maximize the benefits of AI in generating quality, sustainable livelihoods.
Featured voices
Tamiwe Kayuni – Moderator: “We need grounded, evidence‑based dialogue to understand how AI will reshape labour markets and what policies can guide this transition, while ensuring our focus remains on practical, context‑aware solutions that work for African realities.”
Karima Bounemra Ben Soltane, IDEP Director: “Africa is building an emerging AI ecosystem, but unlocking its full potential requires bold investment in infrastructure, research, and human capacity, alongside a mindset shift among leaders who must see AI not merely as a tool but as a strategic enabler of development.”
Camila Talam – Presenter: “AI is Africa’s fourth industrial revolution, with the potential to add up to 3% economic growth if the continent invests in infrastructure, skills, and frugal, context‑appropriate innovations in key sectors.”
Jake Kendall – Panelist: “Africa should double down on sectors where it already has strength, as strategic, targeted investments will outperform broad ecosystem spending, with AI‑enabled service industries positioning the continent as a competitive exporter that creates sustainable jobs and new growth pathways.”
Dee Allen – Panelist: “Skills development, especially in STEM and digital literacy, is the cornerstone of inclusive AI adoption, and expanding digital infrastructure is essential to ensure AI benefits all communities; at the same time, countries must develop sovereign AI strategies that support locally grounded solutions.’
Professor Fola Adeleke – Panelist: “Africa’s biggest AI challenges, data access, quality, governance, and privacy, require strong legal frameworks such as privacy laws, IP protections, and data‑sharing protocols, along with local‑language AI models to ensure inclusion, and recognition and protection of data workers with gender equity at the center of AI‑related work.”
Promoting High-Growth Youth Entrepreneurship for Job Creation in Africa
17 March 2026
The webinar session explored issues pertinent to creating a responsive and inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem for young people, with a focus on the regulatory environment, business development services, skills for entrepreneurship, access to finance, market access, and networks for high-growth enterprises.