By Benjamin A. Commey, GNA
Accra, Feb. 04, GNA – Dr Emmanuel Dei-Tumi, The Executive Director of the Africa Future Leaders Institute of Global Affairs (AFLIGA), has paid a courtesy call on the High Commissioner of the Republic of Rwanda to Ghana, Her Excellency Rosemary Mbabazi, to explore strengthened collaboration on youth and women empowerment across Africa.
The high-level engagement focused on the role of Africa’s youth and women in a rapidly evolving global order shaped by geopolitical realignments, technological advancement, and shifting economic power.
The discussions examined how these global changes affect Africa’s predominantly youthful population and what deliberate policy responses were required to secure the continent’s future.
Both parties stressed the importance of peer learning and experience sharing among African countries to address common challenges such as youth unemployment, political disengagement, and social fragmentation.
They agreed that cross-country dialogue remained critical to scaling best practices in youth and women development across the continent.
Dr Dei-Tumi emphasised the urgent need for intentional policy choices and strong institutional frameworks by African Union member states to adequately empower young people and women.
He noted that Africa’s demographic advantage could only be transformed into sustainable development if youth were meaningfully positioned at the centre of governance, leadership, and development processes.
The High Commissioner shared Rwanda’s experience in prioritising youth empowerment through sustained national investments.
She highlighted the role of the National Youth Council of Rwanda in ensuring structured youth representation and participation in governance, as well as the integration of young people into national development planning and digital transformation programmes.
She also underscored Rwanda’s innovative initiatives, including the Itorero programme, which promotes civic values, patriotism, and ethical leadership among the youth.
According to her, such programmes have been instrumental in nurturing responsible citizenship and preparing young people for leadership roles.
As part of the visit, Dr Dei-Tumi extended an invitation to the High Commissioner to participate in AFLIGA’s March Fireside Dialogue and the AFLIGA Thought Leadership Series scheduled for August.
The March Fireside Dialogue, a virtual intergenerational conversation, will focus on the theme: “Implications of the New World Order for Africa’s Future: Trade, Security, FDIs, Technology and Democratic Governance.”
The AFLIGA is a pan-African thought leadership and capacity-building institution dedicated to shaping Africa’s future through youth- and women-centred policy innovation, leadership development, and high-level continental dialogue.
AFLIGA works to prepare the next generation of African leaders to effectively engage with the evolving global order by bridging the gap between policy, governance, diplomacy, economics, and civic leadership.
The Institute provides platforms for intergenerational learning, experience sharing, and strategic conversations that connect emerging leaders with seasoned policymakers, diplomats, academics, and development practitioners.
The courtesy call, therefore, reaffirmed AFLIGA’s commitment to advancing high-level inter-African dialogue and learning, with a strong emphasis on youth-centred and gender-responsive policy innovation in support of Africa’s long-term development goals under Agenda 2063.
GNA
Kenneth Odeng Adade