Letters

Tap AfCFTA to uplift young entrepreneurs

afcfta

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretary-General H.E Wamkele Keabetswe Mene. PHOTO | FRANCIS NDERITU | NMG

As Africa grapples with many efforts to maximise gains set to be achieved through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the creation of jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities for the youth should top the agenda.

Africa must first fast-track the removal of non-tariff barriers and harmonise trade policies to ensure and guarantee free cross-border movement.

This will create a single market and promote key sectors, including manufacturing, agriculture, service, and creative industries that will in turn offer opportunities for our jobless youth.

Since the launch of the bloc last year, it has met the challenges of low intra-border trade prompted by different tax regimes and immigration laws yet to be harmonised.

This can be addressed by first removing all non-tariff barriers in various regional blocs such as the East African Community before benefits are rolled out to a continental level.

The idea of having the world’s biggest economic bloc domiciled in Africa was a great one. The agreement has the potential to unlock a market of 1.3 billion people. And as implementation rolls out, Africa’s youth must be motivated and involved in the process at all levels — national, regional, and continental.

Their innovativeness has guaranteed them huge responsibility in driving other aspects of prosperity, which unfortunately has not included policymaking.

The Youth must understand what is on offer in the AfCFTA, and start to prepare the production lines — both goods and services, to participate in these value chains.

There is a strong justification for this. To date, only about 3.5 percent of integration exists in Africa’s value chains. This is where youth need to make a difference.

A study by United Nations Development Programme and the AfCFTA reveals that Africa has the potential of unlocking 10 new value chains.

Africa’s large and fast-growing youth population is one of its greatest assets, with a central role to play in shaping the development of the continent. Yet, young Africans face numerous hurdles that affect their livelihoods and make it difficult for them to thrive.