Africa is a young continent. Nearly 60 percent of Africans
are under the age of 25. Compare that to 27 percent of Europeans. The median age
across Africa is 18. Compare that to 35 in North America (or 47 in Japan).
Recently, there’s been a lot of discussion about what
happens if large numbers of young people in the poorest countries are denied
opportunities to build better lives. People worry about insecurity,
instability, and mass migration. We wish they would also recognize young
people’s enormous potential to drive growth. They are the activists,
innovators, leaders, and workers of the future.
Investing in young people’s health and education is the best
way for a country to unlock productivity and innovation, cut poverty, create
opportunities, and generate prosperity. Human
capital is not a magic bullet, but it has played a pivotal role in the success
of emerging economies around the world.