YouthConnekt Africa Summit 2021

The YouthConnekt Africa Summit is an annual convening that connects youth from across the continent and beyond with policy influencers, political leaders, and public, private and development sector institutions to engage, discuss, design, and accelerate youth empowerment efforts at a continental level. In addition, every year the summit intends to create a platform for a larger number of young people from all over the continent to learn and engage in YouthConnekt Africa’s youth development program. Every year, the YouthConnekt Africa Summit aims to address a variety of youth issues related to economic, social, and political empowerment of youth in Africa. This year’s summit will focus on “Positioning African Youth to cater for the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) Market.”

In March 2018, forty-four African heads of state gathered in Kigali, Rwanda to sign the framework for the AfCFTA to create a single continental market for goods and services, with free movement of businesspeople and investments. In current changing global economic outlook with hike in tariffs and protectionism, AfCFTA provides opportunities to African nations to look inward and increase access to regional markets. Considering the importance and impact of AfCFTA on regional economies, phenomenal potential for intra-continental trade, and opportunities to access new markets, the YCA plan to engage, encourage, and connect 226 million young African as a biggest stakeholder to exploit the trade opportunities, enhance trade capacities, gain news skills to contribute to sustainable trade development.

Hosted by the Government of the Republic of Ghana, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the 2021 YouthConnekt Africa Summit will provide a platform for all partners involved in youth development to synergize around policies, programs and partnerships that position African youth to cater to the AfCFTA and advance regional integration. Held in Accra, the capital city of the Republic of Ghana, the 2021 YouthConnekt Summit will offer, over three days, a combination of informative, high-level plenaries, panel discussions, keynote speeches, small group workshops, research presentations, project pitching, awards, off-site activities, learning visits, exhibition, and cultural events.