The Executive Chairman of the African Prosperity Network, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, has issued a stark warning regarding the escalating youth unemployment crisis across the continent.
Addressing delegates at the African Prosperity Dialogues in Accra, Mr Otchere-Darko identified the lack of job opportunities for the youth as the pre-eminent threat to African stability and growth.
Speaking under the theme “Empowering SMEs, Women and Youth in Africa’s Single Market: Innovate, Collaborate and Trade”, he argued that the current structure of African economies is fundamentally ill-equipped to handle the demographic explosion on the horizon.
With millions of young people entering the labour market annually, the failure to generate sustainable employment is creating a volatile social atmosphere.
Mr Otchere-Darko supported his warning with sobering statistical projections that illustrate the scale of the challenge.
Within the next two decades, Africa is expected to transition from its current population of 1 billion to a staggering 2.1 billion people by 2040. Crucially, the continent will possess the largest workforce globally, yet its industrial and commercial sectors remain fragmented.
“The biggest threat facing us is youth unemployment. Currently we have 1 billion people in Africa. By 2040, our population will be about 2.1 billion, and 1.3 billion of them will be the workforce, the biggest in the world. Are our economies big enough to create jobs for them? It is a dangerous space we are entering: how to find jobs for these frustrated young people. Our economies are not built to take care of them; let us accept it and open our borders,” he said.
The central thrust of the Executive Chairman’s argument was the immediate need for deeper continental integration. He maintained that internal restrictions and rigid border controls are self-inflicted wounds that stifle the potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Mr Otchere-Darko highlighted the irony of African nations maintaining barriers against each other while Western nations simultaneously tighten their immigration policies to exclude African migrants. He insisted that the only viable solution to the unemployment crisis is to allow the free movement of labour, capital, and goods across the continent to create an economy of scale.
“As the Americans and Europeans are raising our borders to keep us out, we are keeping our borders to restrict our progress. Does that make sense to us?” he questioned.
The dialogues concluded with a consensus that without a “borderless” approach, African SMEs—which provide an estimated 80% of jobs on the continent—will remain trapped within small, uncompetitive domestic markets.
By opening borders, proponents argue that Africa can transform its massive workforce from a potential “dangerous space” into a global economic engine. The African Prosperity Network is now expected to push for these policy shifts to be prioritised at the next AU Summit.
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