Republic of Mauritius- Local author portrays African youth as the prime resource for Africa’s progress

The book aims at passing on a message to African youth that they are the generation with the potential to change the course of history for the betterment of humanity. It delineates the ways young people can be propelled as the driving force for the growth and progress of the African continent, which is paramount for the transformation of Africa into the global powerhouse of the future in line with the goal of the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

In his address, President Roopun congratulated Mr Ramasamy for having published the book, while underlining that he fully supports such initiatives from local writers. According to him, writing a book is a daring initiative and is most importantly a noble act of sharing. He lauded the determination of the young writer as well as his passion for the cause of youth empowerment and advocacy for Pan Africanism and continental integration.

The book provides a critical insight of regional integration within the African continent along with the challenges faced and possible solutions, he indicated.

Speaking about the key themes of the book, namely regional integration and the rising potential of African youth, the President highlighted that regional integration has been key to the socioeconomic progress and development of Mauritius.  African youth have the potential to drive the development agenda of the continent, and should be encouraged to take the lead to change the future and to help build a prosperous Africa, he said. It is critical to develop among them a sense of belonging and patriotism, he added.

Africa, President Roopun observed, which was previously referred to as the black continent is today, in fact, the continent of the future with 60% of its population currently under 25 years old, while the rest of the world is battling against an ageing population. Hence, African youth represent an asset which can drive future growth at global level, he emphasised.

He dwelt on numerous challenges affecting African countries, including the high level of unemployment and skilled migration.  Additionally, President Roopun underpinned the need to empower young people and give them the proper environment and opportunities that nurture their potential, and enable them to evolve and participate in decision making at all levels.

Moreover, he indicated that it is crucial to probe into the respective realities and challenges of each African country and come up with concerted actions to strengthen the process of regional integration across the whole continent.  ‘In this endeavour, we should harness the human capital that represents the youth to tap into new means to propel development and make optimum use of new technologies’, he highlighted.