The Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority (NYA), Mr. Osman Abdulai Ayariga, has issued a bold call to young Africans to rise, lead, and demand a seat at decision-making tables across the continent. Delivering the keynote address at the 2025 Africa Youth Day celebration at the International Conference Center, he urged the continent’s youth to “be fearless” and reject a culture of passivity.
Held under the theme “Accountability, Policy and Youth-Led Solutions for National Development,” the event brought together diplomats, government officials, youth leaders, development partners and dignitaries including representatives from the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD and the National Schools Inspectorate Authority (NaSIA).
Mr. Osman Ayariga praised the African Union for championing youth empowerment and reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to moving from “rhetoric to actionable, transformative outcomes” in youth development.
Youth Must Lead, Not Wait
Referencing Africa’s liberation heroes — Kwame Nkrumah, Patrice Lumumba and Thomas Sankara — Osman Ayariga highlighted that many of the continent’s most transformational leaders were young when they shaped history.
“Our freedom fighters were not septuagenarians,” he declared. “They were vibrant, audacious young men and women… The continent belongs to the youth and you must take it. It will not be handed over to you.”
He condemned what he termed a “generational disconnect” in African politics, expressing concern that despite over 60% of Africa’s population being under 25, elderly leaders continue to dominate, and young people often support them blindly.
Ghana as a Model for Youth Inclusion
Citing Ghana’s rise in youth appointments under President John Mahama, Osman Ayariga said the country is becoming a “test case” for Africa, proving that young leaders bring innovation, urgency, and digital fluency to governance.
“This is not tokenism,” he stressed. “It is a strategic investment.”
Lessons from the Sahel
He also referenced the rise of youthful leaders in the Sahel, including Burkina Faso’s 34-year-old leader Captain Ibrahim Traoré, urging African nations to create structured pathways for youth leadership to avoid disruptive takeovers.
“When formal channels for accountability and inclusion are perceived as closed, a generation will force them open,” he cautioned.
Policy, Accountability, and Youth-Led Innovation
Osman Ayariga called for:
- Full implementation of the African Youth Charter
- Reforms to education systems to align with the 4th Industrial Revolution
- Policies that ease entrepreneurship barriers and improve access to capital
- Direct funding for young innovators
“The solutions to Africa’s most pressing challenges are already being prototyped in the minds and startups of our young people,” he said. “Government must not lead them with outdated maps.”
A Renewed Pact
He concluded with a rallying charge:
“Let us move beyond the rhetoric of youth as future leaders. The future is now.”
Africa Youth Day 2025, he added, should mark a renewed pact between generations — one anchored on shared commitment to accountability, bold policy and youth-led innovation.
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