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daniel orupabo

MD, southernhouse ltd

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In what practical ways can African states tackle the issue of poverty and unemployment amongst its young people?

Many African states list their young people as a vital resource base. But very disturbing is the fact that young people in Africa are left to rot due largely to almost zero opportunity and failing structures compounded by systemic corruption. Now, for African states a wasting generation of young people is a more threatening challenge than political instability.

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  • Joan Camden

    • +4
    Oct 6 2012: First of all I am amazed at how people only see the bad in Africa, yes there is war and yes there are people living in bad situations but let us not exaggerate the level of how bad things are. The media has gone a long way in painting Africa as severly impoverished continent that the attitudes and perceptions currently held can not offer any viable solutions.

    So let us change our attitudes towards Africa. Aid has been sent to Africa for over 20 years and clearly it is not as effective as people like to think. Africans need to be empowered, they need to be self reliant and self dependent. If the western world wants to help so much,let them partner with credible young entreprenuers in Africa, dont try to save us, work with us.

    • Corey DeAngelis

      • +1
      Oct 6 2012: That makes a lot of sense. Empowerment does look like the best solution to any economic problems in Africa or other economically disadvantaged locations. Africa has access to specific types of resources and once the people learn to capitalize on these endowed resources, they should be able to find some type of competitive advantage. They could even partner up with multinational corporations and essentially attain the free R&D associated with the partnership.
      That being said, they need to make sure there is an economic system in place that will support privatized businesses; if this is not the case, then this is where countries should focus on providing assistance.

      • shawn disney 10+

        • 0
        Oct 9 2012: The "Empowerment " you are talking about has been the empowerment of the Looters.
        The money that the west sends them ends up in the Looters private bank accounts. If you want to do something constructive, let the UN stop coddling the Failed States, and let them conduct a Neo-Tribalism,
        Self-Determination re drawing of borders.

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