Africa is largely leaving their youths behind while others profit from our consumption. The over-reliance on imported goods and services creates a cycle where African youth are primarily consumers and distributors, rather than empowered producers and innovators.

This dynamic stifles entrepreneurship, limits skills development, and hinders the creation of a robust, self-sufficient economic future for the continent's large youth population.

The Vicious Cycle of Consumption, Not Production-

The current economic model often leaves young people on the sidelines of industrial development. When a country's market is flooded with cheap, ready-made imports, local manufacturing industries struggle to compete and may be forced to close. This eliminates the very sectors that would provide jobs and opportunities for young people to gain hands-on experience in manufacturing, engineering, and design. The result is a lack of career pathways, forcing youth into low-wage, insecure jobs in the informal sector or into unemployment. For example, some data shows that in some African countries, the unemployment rate for young people can be over 50%.

Denying Opportunities for Innovation and Skills-

By importing finished goods, we effectively outsource the entire problem-solving cycle. Young people are denied the chance to identify local challenges and create innovative solutions because foreign-made products already exist. This prevents them from acquiring critical practical skills and developing a mindset of innovation. Instead of becoming engineers who design new technologies or entrepreneurs who build factories, they become consumers of technologies and goods produced elsewhere. This creates a significant skills gap that makes it even harder to build a domestic industrial base in the future, perpetuating the cycle of dependency.

The Path to Empowerment-

Empowering youth to lead in industries requires a fundamental shift in economic strategy. By prioritizing local production through supportive government policies, targeted investments, and robust vocational training, we can create an environment where young people are not just consumers, but creators. This would open the door for youth-owned businesses to fill supply gaps, create jobs, and build a more resilient and prosperous economic future for themselves and their communities.

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How can domestic production reduce youth unemployment and the rise of informal street vending as a survival strategy?

Domestic production can reduce youth unemployment and the rise of informal street vending by creating a formal, structured economy with diverse job opportunities and skill-building pathways.

The informal street vending sector often serves as a survival strategy for young people with few other options, but it's a vulnerable form of work with limited potential for growth. Local production offers a sustainable alternative by creating a virtuous cycle of job creation, skills development, and economic growth.

1. Direct Job Creation and Formal Employment-

When a country focuses on local production, it creates a wide range of formal jobs in factories, workshops, and distribution centers. These are stable jobs with regular wages, social security benefits, and legal protections that informal vending lacks. By producing goods like textiles, processed foods, and furniture locally, a country can directly employ thousands of young people who would otherwise be unemployed or forced into the informal economy. This shift provides a more secure and reliable source of income, reducing the necessity of turning to street vending as a last resort.

2. Skills Development and Vocational Training-

Local industries require a skilled workforce. This increased demand for skilled labor would drive the creation of technical and vocational training programs that teach young people practical skills in manufacturing, engineering, design, and logistics. Instead of simply selling pre-made products, youth can become skilled technicians, engineers, and designers. This not only makes them more employable but also gives them the tools to innovate and start their own businesses. These skills provide a foundation for a long-term career, moving them beyond the precarious existence of street vending.

3. Fostering Entrepreneurship Beyond Vending-

While street vending is a form of entrepreneurship, it is often low-value and difficult to scale. A focus on local production opens the door for young people to become producers and innovators rather than just vendors. With a guaranteed local market, young entrepreneurs can start businesses that produce goods to fill the supply gaps left by reduced imports. This could involve everything from small-scale agro-processing to creating a local furniture brand. These businesses have the potential to grow, create more jobs, and build generational wealth, offering a far more robust path to economic ownership than street vending.