ALX, a pan-African talent accelerator, has emphasized the need for greater collaboration between skills providers, employers, governments, and development institutions. This alignment is crucial to ensure that Africa's growing youth talent translates into jobs, entrepreneurship, and broader economic opportunity. Regional Director, West & Central Africa at ALX, Ruby Igwe, made this call at a CNBC Africa Power Lunch West Africa event.
According to Igwe, young Africans are already taking steps to develop digital skills, launch businesses, and participate in new forms of work. However, the focus must shift from whether young people are ready to whether the systems around them can create opportunity at sufficient scale. ALX has trained over 350,000 young people across Africa since 2021, demonstrating the scale of demand for skills development.
Africa faces a significant challenge in addressing the needs of its growing youth population. With 10 to 12 million young Africans entering the labor market each year, and only about three million formal jobs created annually, the continent requires a coordinated approach to create opportunities. Igwe stressed that no single institution can address this scale of opportunity alone.
To bridge the gap, Igwe identified four key areas that require coordinated action. These include skills providers expanding access to practical, industry-aligned training, governments strengthening infrastructure and enabling policy, development institutions helping to finance proven models at scale, and employers clearly defining the skills they need while creating meaningful entry-level pathways for emerging talent.
Igwe also addressed the perception that digital fluency is only relevant to technical careers. She noted that technology is increasingly reshaping work across sectors, and digital tools enhance how professionals work, regardless of their field of study. A mindset shift toward digital fluency and adaptability is necessary to ensure that young Africans can participate in the continent's industrial and digital transformation.
ALX aims to expand access, strengthen alignment between skills and market demand, and create clearer pathways into economic opportunity. By doing so, the organization hopes to ensure that young Africans can participate in and help lead the continent's industrial and digital transformation. Igwe emphasized that Africa's next challenge is to move from pockets of excellence to systems capable of delivering opportunity at scale.
The ALX Regional Director concluded that young people have already shown their willingness to work and develop skills. Now, it is essential to ensure that the systems around them, from policy to funding to hiring, are moving at the same speed as the young people. This will enable Africa to lead the transformation and create opportunities for its growing youth population.
Key points
- ALX has trained over 350,000 young people across Africa since 2021.
- Africa faces a significant challenge with 10 to 12 million young people entering the labor market each year, and only about three million formal jobs created annually.
- Coordinated action across four fronts is necessary to bridge the gap between skills development and economic opportunity.
