World Data Lab, Mastercard Launch Africa Youth Employment Hour | Ghana News Agency

By Paul Eduardo Richardson

Accra, June 13, GNA – The Mastercard Foundation and World Data Lab have launched the Africa Youth Employment Watch, a digital tool that monitors job growth in real time and forecasts employment trends in Africa to 2030.

Launched in Accra, Ora aims to democratize data and inform strategic decision-making by policymakers, development actors, youth and other stakeholders interested in promoting inclusive labor markets.

A user-friendly, publicly available tool with state-of-the-art data modeling and visualization, Ora draws from surveys and datasets available from national statistical offices, the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA). .

Accessible online at africayouthjobs.io, Clock has country-level youth employment data for all 54 African states, as well as sub-national data for Ghana, Rwanda and Kenya.

Access to sub-national data would be expanded, over time, to cover other parts of Africa, particularly countries where the Mastercard Foundation operates.

Speaking at the presentation, Mrs. Rica Rwigamba, Country Director, Mastercard Foundation, Ghana, said the Hour aligns with the Foundation’s mission to enable 30 million young Africans to have access to dignified and fulfilling work by 2030.

According to World Data Lab projections, Africa would experience the highest youth population growth of over 130 million in the decade 2021-2030.

“As we witness the continent’s unprecedented youth population growth this decade, we recognize Africa’s youth and young adults as the dynamic workforce and leaders capable of solving local and global problems.

“This tool will be vital in providing accurate labor market insights to support youth empowerment efforts and refine our focus on programs for those most in need,” Ms Rwigamba said.

Dr Reshma Sheoraj, Vice President, Strategic Engagements, World Data Lab, indicated that, in 2023, two out of ten young people worldwide will be African.

She said that by 2030, Africa would have a quarter of the global youth population, adding that, by 2100, four out of ten young people worldwide would be African.

It noted that all regions of Africa had significantly higher rates of youth growth, with only six countries accounting for more than 50 percent of all youth population additions from 2023-2030.

Mr. Kwadwo Agyapon-Ntra, Data Scientist, World Data Lab, noted that Ghana’s youth population was growing rapidly and the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training (NEET) projected to grow into a “business as usual”. scenario”.

Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, said the Hour would help address the challenge of youth unemployment which had been plaguing the African continent.

She added that the new tool would contribute to the fulfillment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 8) which emphasized decent work and economic growth.

This, she noted, would have a direct impact on SDG 1 No Poverty, SDG 2 Zero Hunger, SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being and SDG 4 Quality Education.

She added that economic development and poverty eradication under Agenda 2063, which was the “Africa we want”, as well as Ghana’s “Vision 2057” launched by the National Development Planning Commission, will all be accelerated through the Employment Hour of of Youth in Africa.

“It is clear that all these beautiful aspirations will remain mere plans if they are not acted upon, monitored and evaluated. This certainly requires decision-making and actions based on data”, emphasized Prof. Ampho.

GNA

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