Nairobi: Principal Secretary (PS) for Labour and Skills Development, Shadrack Mwadime, has highlighted Africa’s youth demography-where 65 percent of the population is aged 35 and below-as the continent’s primary economic resource when he officially opened the PROSPECTS Africa Forum on Decent Work and Forced Displacement in Nairobi. PS Mwadime stressed that governments must re-evaluate academic curricula in collaboration with employers to ensure graduates meet real-world job requirements.
According to Kenya News Agency, PS Mwadime emphasized the need to impart proper skills to young Africans, urging collaboration between governments and employers to analyze current job markets. He announced the progress under Kenya’s Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) framework, which has assessed around 20,000 young people with practical experience, with plans to issue 5,000 certificates soon.
Mwadime also pointed out the vital skills forcibly displaced persons bring to host nations, sharing his personal experience of learning from Ugandan educators and medical professionals who contributed to Kenya’s public service sector in earlier years.
Delivering remarks on behalf of the Netherlands Embassy in Nairobi, Ms. Lilian Obiye, Policy Officer for Displacement and Durable Solutions, emphasized that forced displacement should not hinder regional economic productivity. She disclosed that the Netherlands has invested over $500 million globally in the PROSPECTS initiative since 2019, with $67 million allocated specifically to Kenya for its second phase ending in December 2027.
Ms. Obiye commended Kenya’s inclusion policies, citing the Shirika Plan as an exemplary model for developmental refugee management, while reiterating the Netherlands’ commitment to collaborating with regional blocs such as IGAD, EAC, and SADC.
Representing the International Labour Organization (ILO), Dr. Coffi Agossou, Deputy Regional Director for Africa, highlighted the urgent need to align youth labor supply with sustainable market opportunities. ILO estimates indicate that over 86 percent of employment across Africa remains informal, with less than 20 percent of the population covered by social protection benefits and over 117.8 million people forcibly displaced worldwide.
To tackle these challenges, Dr. Agossou urged delegates to implement pro-employment policies, expand social protection coverage, align technical training with market demand, and leverage digital transformation.
Meanwhile, the PROSPECTS Partnership-a joint initiative involving the ILO, UNHCR, UNICEF, the World Bank, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC)-aims to bring together representatives from Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt to establish long-term policy solutions for refugee and host community economic inclusion.
