President John Dramani Mahama has underscored the need for member states of the Africa Union (AU) to give the youth and women the opportunity in leadership roles at all levels.
He said it was regrettable that the youth constitute the bulk of the continent's population, yet underrepresented at the decision-making table. "Africa's future lies in its youth.
Over 60 per cent of our population is under the age of 25 and yet their voices are largely absent in policy making," President Mahama said at the opening session of the retreat on the Implementation of Institutional Reforms of the AU in Nairobi, Kenya, yesterday. "We must institutionalise a framework that empowers our young people and our women to lead at all levels of governance. "The energy of our youth, their creativity and vision are the drivers of the Africa we all seek to build," he added.
The retreat seeks to address key issues confronting the continent including terrorism, financing, and trade among others.
